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Tracklist: REVIEW Instant Flight are a London based band whose music has evolved from the British Psychedelic movement of the 1960's. While they have previously issued an EP, which was highly acclaimed, "Colours and Lights" represents their first full length release, and on hearing the album it is immediately apparent that the band have captured not just the sound of the 60's but it's spirit as well. However do not be fooled into thinking for one moment that this is just a rehash of what's gone before - what we have here is a sensitively crafted, superbly played but ultimately modern sounding work presenting 60's style psychedelia at it's very best. The album features the four full time band members, Marco Magnani (guitars and vocals), Lucie Rejchrtova (keyboards, accordion and backing vocals), Andrew Browning (bass) and James Ovens (drums) as well as a guest appearance from the legendary Arthur Brown, which is something of a coup for such a relatively unknown band. The first track, 'Running Around', sets the scene nicely with Doorsy style Hammond organ sounds coming over strongly from the start, a theme that seems to run throughout the album. The mood is upbeat yet easy going and the crisp vocals backed by tight guitar work and strong rhythm section create a very favourable impression from the outset. The title track, 'Colours and Lights', begins with harpsichord style keyboards leading into the soft, laid back vocal line which puts on in mind of The Beatles. Good use is made of acoustic guitar throughout creating a soft dreamy mood to the piece. This is followed by 'Top of the Mountain', a track that utilises stronger keyboard sounds and a much harder hitting rhythm section. This creates a darker, slightly mystical edge to the music and gives a slightly eastern flavour to the track generally. 'Her Mystery' kicks off with a powerful organ sequence but quickly this gives way to a strong rising sequence that leads to the more restrained vocal line. Once again there is a strong Beatles feel to this number, and it works very well indeed. 'Under the Moonlight' has a much more upbeat and mainstream mood, but is none the worse for the fact, and after hearing the first chorus it quickly proved itself to be quite a catchy song. Great electric guitar work here and good orchestration keep up the strong psychedelic connection. The tone is taken right down with the very restrained opening to 'She Passes By'. This is a more melancholic number and despite the fact it does pick up somewhat after the rather slow start, personally I found it not quite to my taste. Any reservations quickly evaporated with the much rockier swinging rhythms of 'Freeway'. The powerful opening sequence which powers through the song would appear to be derived from the old Shocking Blue number, "Venus", and it fits the mood of the song perfectly. Once again the keyboards come across very strongly, and there are some excellent lead guitar breaks, but the final point of interest has to be the final vocal touches from Arthur Brown which provide added interest to what is already a great number. 'Flowers on My Grave' has a slight Pink Floyd overtone at times. There is also a slightly more monotone style to the vocal delivery which provides an interesting contrast to the rest of the album. The only purely instrumental number on the album comes next with 'Tarantula'. This piece has a harsher feel with driving keyboards and guitar powering through the number backed up by powerful bass runs and strong drumming. The nature of the track is a perhaps a little quirky at times, and there is a slightly anarchic almost unsettling quality to it at times, but nevertheless it works very well. Next we come to 'Kites', a song that was a big hit for Simon Dupree and the Big Sound back in 1967. The vocals throughout are provided by Arthur Brown, who adds his own enigmatic touches to a recording that quite frankly is hard to fault. The spirit of the original is certainly still here, but the sound is very modern - all in all a very creditable reworking of a classic track. If any song on the album really sums up the spirit of the 60's it has to be 'Such a Slow Way Home'. This a a very upbeat number that really motors along and leaves the listener on a very positive high. Really excellent! The final track is the slightly more subdued 'Will You Think of Me', which I believe has Lucie Rejchrtova on vocals (although I am willing to be corrected on this point). Although the singing is not as strong as that of Marco Magnani on much of the rest of the album, there is nevertheless an innocent quality to the sound of her voice that adds a certain appeal and creates the right mood for the closing piece. I have lost count of the number of times I have already played this album and I have to say I am extremely impressed by the whole affair to the extent that I sincerely hope that there will be more to follow before too long. This is an album that it is a genuine pleasure to keep coming back to and anyone with more than a passing interest in the 60's music scene would be well advised to get hold of a copy. Highly Recommended! Simon 5th June 2005 |
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Tracklist: Lineup REVIEW When I reviewed Instant Flight's debut album, 'Colours and Lights', I expressed the hope that there would be more to follow before too long. Well it's been two and a half years now, but I have to say the wait has been well worth it as the band have once again excelled themselves with their latest album titled 'Endless Journey'. From start to finish this album really is a breath of fresh air - excellent songs, excellent musicianship and a rich, modern sound mixed with a strong pinch of nostalgia for those of us old enough to remember. 'Back to the Light' gets things under way and one cannot help but be struck by the beautifully fluid sound with the perfectly contrasted textures of the Hammond organ set against the vibrant guitar work. The bass sound drives along with some really nice runs, building on the framework without ever being overly intrusive, and top of this the vocal line is buoyant and clear leaving the listener in a very upbeat mood. The title track follows on in with a distinctly eastern flavour before we come to 'Celebrate', which for me is one of the albums highlights. This song is reminiscent in some ways to The Beatles' Sgt Pepper album, with its use of brass sounds, strong orchestration and punchy guitar playing - add to this the slightly hypnotic backing vocals which lend a dreamy quality to the overall feel of the piece and what you have is a sure fire winner! 'Get Away' takes a slightly different tack and has a more bluesy sound with the strong bass rhythms and harmonica work very much in evidence. We head back to the mainstream 60's psychedelia again with the perfectly executed 'The Universe in a Verse', a very upbeat number which cannot fail to please. I love the way the vocal melody here drives the song forward, while the music explores themes around it. Again there are some strong orchestral touches that make this a quite memorable piece. The next few tracks provide a series of constantly changing moods and styles. 'Magic Stream' is a slightly more subdued number which creates a lazy, hazy atmosphere helped along with the nice use of backing vocals. Next comes 'The Best Part' with its much harder edge and featuring some fine guitar work providing a fast paced, upbeat rock number. This is followed in turn by 'The Land is the Same', which is another track that seems to be brimful of eastern promise. 'Dreamland', as the title would suggest is another laid back number which again initially reminds one of The Beatles, but the similarity is perhaps superficial as this is no clone but a skilfully crafted track which stands on it's own merits. The song flows beautifully, carrying the listener along with it. The chorus section is quite memorable and has the sort of tune that just invites the audience to join in. 'Vanishing' is a more upbeat track with a slightly rocky edge. The mix is quite strange as in my mind it seems to combine a bond film score with the transatlantic sound of the Byrds. I know it sounds like an odd combination, but trust me it sure does work! The penultimate track 'Gentle Waves of Sound' is one of the longer tracks on the album, and it is one that builds strongly from start to finish. The vocals are delivered with subtle tones and build to provide a marvellous uplift during the chorus sections that leave you wanting more. As ever the keyboard work features notably throughout and drums and bass apply just the right amount of urgency without spoiling the overall mood. I really love this number. Finally we come to 'Play for a Fool' which brings things full circle and allows the album to a close in a similar manner to its opening with a track strong on Hammond organ sounds and punctuated by some very strong guitar work. When reviewing CDs I try to keep an open mind and point out any failings along with the highlights, but in this case it really is very hard to find anything negative to say about 'Endless Journey'. As with the first album, I have spent many happy hours listening to Endless Journey, yet despite repeated plays it has lost none of it's shine and the sense of excitement I experienced on the first run through has remained ever
This album really proves that the psychedelic movement is not only alive and well, but is clearly in very capable hands as long as bands like Instant Flight keep turning out quality albums like this! Do yourself a favour and buy yourself a copy now - you won't regret it! Simon February 9th 2009 |
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Title |
Label/Cat No. |
Year |
Length |
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Beard of Stars BOSCD41 |
2005 |
52.11 |
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Headspin HS402CD |
2009 |
52.15 |
