Album Review: Flight - A Leap Through Matter

This has been a big year for retro/vintage rock. The best band of the lot (Graveyard) released a new album earlier this year, and the biggest name among them (Greta Van Fleet) just recently released their debut. There has been a lot of attention paid to music that draws heavily from the past, which is a good thing for the other bands, in the sense that people might be searching out more of the same, but it's negative in the sense that they all have to be compared to those other two, who are probably better than anyone else is going to be. It's yet another double-edged sword when it comes to how to present yourself.

I'm not sure the best way of introducing your record is with a three minute instrumental cut. "Arrival" has a snaking main riff that is very cool, and some Iron Maiden styled guitar harmonies, but I find instrumental music to be largely tedious, and this song wasn't how I wanted the record to start. It's almost begging to be skipped, which with any impatience at all might mean some listeners would move on without sampling any of the remaining songs.

I do like their vintage production, which leaves the guitars sounding raw, and perhaps a bit grainy. It's a natural sound that is from the 70s, one where you can hear the music sounding like it's being played by actual humans, rather than the massively over-saturated and clinical sound that permeates modern recordings. There's breathing room to this music, and that is much appreciated.

The vocals aren't the greatest, but they fit with the retro vibe, and don't distract from what's going on. The issue is that the band is providing a good deal of interesting riffs and guitar parts, while the vocal lines are never as engaging. While this is clearly a guitar album, a little more spark from the vocals would have brought this to another level. As good as Jimmy Page, Downing/Tipton, and Murray/Smith were, they didn't make it by guitar alone. Flight's instrumental talents are there, but for the songwriting to be where they need to be for the band to grow, the vocal writing needs to improve. Many listeners, myself included, identify there first and foremost.

But for guitar fans, Flight has quite a bit to offer. The tones are charming, and the riffs are lively and memorable in the simple way the best classic rock was. There are layers of guitars to dig into, but the playing is focused on delivering riffs that are more about hooking you than they are showing off their chops.

This record is claimed to be a step forward, and it is certainly a step in the right direction. There is work to be done to tighten everything up, but Flight does who they have a lot of potential. They have the right sound, and the right vibe. If they can find the elusive songwriting magic that makes certain music special, they could turn into something really good. As they stand now, "A Leap Through Matter" is a fine little record that is a nice diversion when modern times get to be a bit too much.