As a metaphor, flight is pretty self-explanatory. To say things ‘take flight’ or end up ‘grounded’ lets the reader know where things stand fairly quickly. Today’s post sees three bands chart distinctive flight paths but you’ve got to listen carefully to see where each goes.
Sunken Planes have got an early REM vibe animating the tight collection of songs on their Intersections EP. You can definitely hear it on “Two Trains” and “The Ghost of Jennifer Bradley.” Should-be hit single “There’s a World” spreads the sonic influences a big further, over a host of other college bands from that decade. Then “Constellation Light” initially strikes a different mood before resolving into the band’s signature, self-described ‘jangle-shoe gaze’ sound. The most serious outlier on the record is “Doppelganger” with its almost jazzy chords and lead guitar lines and distinctive harmony vocals in the chorus. My only complaint here is that everything ends too soon, given the brevity of this EP’s five songs – start to finish barely cracks a quarter hour. A debut long-player can’t come fast enough for me.
With a name like On the Runway you might expect a sense of urgency from this band. But the songs on Tell Yourself It’s Pretty mostly vibe a pretty mellow jangle. Some are very early 1980s soft rock, like the atmospheric “Set For Life” and “Stuck On You.” Others have a more 1970s Fleetwood Mac feel – here “Loser Of The Year” comes to mind. Then you have tracks like “Consolation Prize” that exude a sombre intensity, even as they throw out some solid melodic hooks. For singles material I would nominate the guitar-driven “This Charade” and the almost anthemic “This Will Be Your Year.” The material on this alum is really something meant to heard on an AM transistor radio. For a study in tempo contrasts, check out how things really slow down on “House Is Not A Home,” a quiet pop song that is almost whispered but enlivened by ringing guitar tone, while “Bring Yourself Down” picks up speed right as the album ends.
Talk about an aptly named album. The Speed of Sound’s new LP A Cornucopia: Minerva really is buffet-style serving of multiple musical styles. There’s a bit of Bo Diddley boogie, Velvet Underground swagger, and 60s melodious beat – and that’s just the first three cuts. John Armstrong and Ann-Marie Crowley share vocals duties in a creative tension on nearly all the songs, the former pulling in an Anglo-Lou Reed direction, the latter evoking an Alison Moyet pop confidence. With 14 songs here there’s plenty to choose from in terms of highlights. Personally, I’m drawn the straightforward poprock efficiency of “Clickbait” with its slight snarl. “Yet Another Tuesday” sounds like a punked up Monkees to me. However, my fave is undoubtedly “Question Time.” I love the multiple guitar hooks as well as the spot-on lyrical sentiment.
You won’t need a boarding pass to access these high flyers. Just click the hyperlinks to get airborne.
Photo courtesy Swizzle Studios.
Poprock Record 