Album Review: Flyte - 'Flyte'
Flyte return with a record that celebrates new beginnings in more ways than one.
Flyte have unveiled their new record... Flyte. The title suggests that they've reached an epoch of sorts. Whilst, in the past, some of their efforts have been engaging but (at times) derivative, this offering is nothing of the sort.
Will Taylor and Nick Hill, the founding members of the band, have been playing music together since they were at primary school. They bonded over musical theatre and even faced off against one another in a school battle of the bands. From an early age they were gigging and busking around London, quickly garnering attention for their raw talent.
As a band, their gift for close harmony, Beatles-esque arrangements and effortless cohesion has always been apparent. I remember my first experience of their vocal prowess - a rendition (in a car park) of 'Archie, Marry me' by Alvvays. I was floored. In the past few years, they've stacked up multiple releases and haven't stopped growing. Even with the loss of 2 band members, which could shake any project, they managed to put the music front and centre. ''It made it more than ever before become fully song focused'' says Taylor. ''The song is king.''
The song is certainly king in this record. The instrumentation and recording is beautifully raw throughout (more on that later) and no song ever feels cluttered. Flyte (as all great bands do) know when to leave space. The opening track 'Speech Bubble' proves this to be the case. They open the whole record with nothing but an acoustic and Taylor's vocal. Gradually, subtle doubled vocals morph into the arrangement, as Taylor sings "Heartbreak, it takes practice... and I think I'm getting better at this". Piano cuddles the guitar from the moment it enters later in the song, adding to the misty melancholy.
On track 2, 'Defender', the minimalism continues. 2 hard-panned guitars; a simple drum machine and a lead vocal form most of the instrumentation. I adore the saturation on the vocal and the way it intertwines with the similarly saturated drum machine. As the delicate, contrapuntal guitars of 'Defender' fade, a wall of sound launches with 'Press Play'. ''Forever maybe never / I'm good for any weather'' sings Taylor, backed by a huge and room-y drum sound that is reminiscent of Ringo.
Track 4 is 'Don't Forget About Us', written for and performed with Billie Marten. Here a crystalline 12-string guitar keeps the song driving forward. The unison harmony throughout is beautifully understated, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings would be proud. 'Perfect Dark' follows, with Nick Drake-esque cello lines and a patchwork of guitars. The song is short but sweet, almost as sweet as what follows...
'Even On Bad Days' (track 6) has been described by Taylor as a "realistic wedding vow". The warm 'mmm's; the yearning pedal steel and dry drums form a perfect backdrop for Taylor to put forward his earnest message. Here, the production gifts of those involved is also impossible to ignore. The record was engineered by Dom Monks and produced by Andrew Sarlo. The former has a knack for squeezing the humanity out of a sound source; the latter for squeezing the humanity out of... a human. Sarlo has brought his touch to bands such as Big Thief and Hovvdy, seeming to bring with him an innate ability to keep artists comfortable enough to put themselves on record, Literally.
'Tough Love', a song that has already garnered some attention due to a beautiful live performance with Florence Pugh, follows. On the record, Pugh is replaced by one of the great living songwriters: Laura Marling. Again, Flyte and their creative partners resist the urge to go overboard on the arrangement. It's not until 2:08 that the drums rise to prominence as Taylor repeats "Are you for real, tough love? Do you wanna feel tough love? This could be real tough, love."
'Amy' follows. The signature Flyte harmonies are brought to the forefront here, as is Taylor's delicate guitar playing. The always-in-the-pocket Matt Ingram makes an appearance on drums too. 'Chelsea Smiles', a tender ode to London, follows with sweeping strings and perfectly judged backing vocals. I'll be damned if that isn't also the sweetest bass tone I've heard for some time.
'Better Than Blue' (Track 10) is perhaps the least memorable of the bunch. The arrangement and repetitive vocal lines are slick, however. The mix also has an organic depth. It's definitely one for multiple listens. What follows, however, is one of the highlights of the record for me: 'Bedtime Reminder'. Flyte have previously mentioned their respect for Big Thief; it's easy to imagine Adrienne Lenker delicately picking this one on a porch somewhere. "You be my bedtime reminder and I'll be your wake up call / A reason to lay down beside her and dream of nothing at all" is a lyric for which Lenker herself would be proud.
Flyte, then, finds Taylor and Hill at their authentic, assured best. Whilst their last record This Is Really Going To Hurt was born from the ever-fertile (but intensely painful) ground of a long-term relationship ending; this latest offering is the optimistic but not naive, honest but not fatalistic older sibling. Both bandmates set out to make the song king on this record, they look set to be kings of song in their own right before long.
Words by Joe Boon
