Water signs (for those unfamiliar with the astrological concepts underpinning the title of James Arthur’s sixth studio album) are typically represented as the sensitive, emotionally intense characters of the zodiac. Heightened feelings, unflinching self-examination and an intuitive understanding of the human condition have been core elements of Arthur’s musical DNA as far back as his triumphant run on The X Factor in 2012; PISCES serves to further cement that identity. Animated production from Steven Solomon—whose chart-topping steer on Arthur’s previous project, 2024’s Bitter Sweet Love, sees him return to the helm here—plots out a lush, organic soundscape for the Middlesbrough-born singer-songwriter to explore. The soft, languorous distortion of opening track “Summer” carves out space for ruminative self-examination before giving way to stadium-rock toned catharsis. “ADHD” swaps layers of dreamy piano riffs and acoustic guitar for rhythmic percussion and pop polish; “Celebrate” culminates in a mocking chant, flipping the sentiment of the word as Arthur dissects his lifelong struggle with anxiety. Underneath the self-effacing (and occasionally, self-flagellating) lyrical themes, the album’s true message is one of resilience, integrity and pride—Arthur’s reckoning with his flaws amounting to a tacit admission that he cares about himself enough to do better, if not for his own ends then at least for the sake of those he loves. “Nothing ever comes easy, but with you it’s a walk in the park,” he sings on the swelling declaration of romantic devotion, “All My Love”, later turning over his past mistakes on “Water”, which crests with a belting refrain of “I rise and I fall”, that sounds like something close to acceptance. The temptation to wallow in shallow regret can be hard to resist; thankfully, on PISCES, he has chosen to dive deep.