Album Review

Flights – Self Titled EP

• 11th May 2011

Progressive music in all its forms is rarely given the respect it deserves; at its best it pushes the boundaries of a style to yield interesting, challenging and new ideas-to re-invent a style and breathe new life into old forms. At its worst it is merely a series of sometimes indulgent experiments; but the few times it fails are far outweighed by the genuine power to act as fuel for a genre.

When Flights set out to create their self titled E.P, with progressive rock their muse, they had an idea to create music ‘Without any preconceived ideas or boundaries’ and in the interests of cutting to the chase they have done just that, and more.

Approaching ideas from an experimental slant, Flights have opened up some interesting doors, jumping off points that surprise and intrigue right from the opening track “The Pretence”. Simultaneously wide-open whilst maintaining a controlled feel – almost to the point of fixation with its melody, “The Pretence” is the starting process of band bearing its soul.

When combining unconventional time signatures and delivery there can be a tendency to drift away from something the listener can hold on to, but Flights guide you by the hand through the ideas, always retaining a semblance of familiarity.

The Flights E.P is a slow burning sway, punctuated with massive gasps of life – “The Judge”‘s haunting melody with guitarist Joe Newcombe picking notes and bends that rub against the nerves, creating a striking forward moving tension.

It’s as through Flights are exploring their own sound in public, normally a mistake. It’s this openness that comes to real effect here.

Naturally some comparisons have to be made in order for there to be some introduction – some connection to begin with. Radiohead’s long standing relationship with the alternative and experimental rock is one, but by no means the end – some of the more introverted Dillinger can be heard woven into one of the E.P’s highlights, “Stitched To The Bone”.

It’s some feat to make conventional noises sound unconventional, and whereas some parts of Flights’ E.P have had to be thought through-multiple vocals for one, there is a feeling that some of these sounds have been beautiful collisions, the vocals with their almost off-mic sound (for example) are just perfect for the disconnected feel, and possibly wouldn’t have been immediately obvious till the final mix. The balanced interplay at 2:50 between bass and drums could have only come from two musicians comfortably sharing the same groove.

With only two days to prepare for the studio, Flights have managed to come very close to capturing their sound in one swift move, and are steps away from defining it, something almost unheard of on a debut.

Flights never really bites in a truly aggressive fashion-although it’s completely possible a long player will. That’s not the point here. Flights gnaws at you leaving a deeper scar, a musical memory that lasts a lot longer.