Tales of marginalisation, featuring a displaced deep sea angler fish, an apocalyptic street preacher and a song once classified as an act of mutiny by the French military.

Track by track:

1 – Animals In The Zoo – A twisted piano-led samba with a message for those that like to fashionise diversity while avoiding any inconvenience or loss of status.

2 – Ugly Doris – a fishsploitation boogie telling the tale of Doris, a deep ocean angler fish taken and displayed in an aquarium exhibit under the unflattering eponym.The original inspiration for this was a flyer for a sealife centre advertising a “Nightmares of the Deep” attraction. The text encouraged visitors to come and marvel at the hideous monstrosities, which struck me as adding insult to injury to the poor creatures who were perfectly happy on the ocean bed before some asshole turned up to abduct them for a seaside attraction.

3 – Saint Virtue – A choral ditty inspired by an encounter with an apocalyptic street preacher on a rainy day in Leeds. The sort who is less about converting non-believers and more about claiming martyrdom.

4 – The Truth Hurts the Teller – for those who take pride in judging others and “telling it like it is” without holding themselves to the same standard.

5 – Eight Days (La Chanson de Craonne) – An English translation of an anonymous French song which arose during the first world war, when French soldiers went on strike following a notoriously botched campaign with a body count that was horrific even by WW1 standards. With thanks to Jackie Stoneygate for her help with the translation.

Exotic Pets (EP) by Kerry JK