It’s always handy to make a new discovery. We review the White Noise EP from Night Flight.

Release date: 3rd April 2020

Label: CRC Records

Formats: Digital

On a wet day in Warwick, I was pleased when an advance stream of the forthcoming EP from London-based band, Night Flight, landed on my desk, pleading to be listened to. 

Night Flight are a new name to me – they’re a four-piece outfit consisting of Sam Holmes, Dan Webb, Harry Phillips and Oliver Halvorsen and they make a very nice sound, reminiscent in turns (to me at least) of War On Drugs, Fleet Foxes and even traces of Transverse City period Warren Zevon.

The EP offers a selection of six songs, opening with the title track, which ably sets the pattern for the rest of the collection – a quiet opening with upfront vocal and simple guitar/bass/drum backing, building into a middle section and coda with lovely swirling slide guitar licks.  Each of the songs on the EP follow this pattern to a greater or lesser degree and it works pretty well.

The opening track is followed by the band’s two recent singles, David and Mexico. David tells the story of a lapsed relationship, intriguingly portrayed in dance on the accompanying video: Mexico is one of my two favourites in the selection and is a song that builds nicely and contains some lovely guitar work. 

My other favourite amongst the offered songs is ATM, the rockiest and most “Zevonesque” track on the album – in both production style and subject matter.  The song is built upon some wonderfully fuzzy guitar licks and rocks along very nicely.  Incidentally, until I listened to this song, I didn’t know what the initials “ATM” stood for – I do now!  Thanks, guys…

Rye is another slow-burner, written, as were most of the songs, in Sam’s hometown of Rye, in Sussex.  As with David, Rye is another song of separation and is, perhaps the most subtle of the songs in this particular set.

The album finishes on a flourish with Delusions, which segues in from the ending of ATM.  Again, the piece builds slowly from it backward-tape intro until the full band drop in half way through the song, over-laid with some dreamy guitar passages.

As noted, Night Flight are a new name to me but I’ll be following their progress with interest.  I like the way the vocals are featured so strongly at the front of the sound and I also like the contrast in their songs, with the rockier sections building tastefully from the quieter passages, without any loss of subtlety. 

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