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Flyte – 'The Loved Ones'

Album Review

By Maddie ChristyPublished 7 years ago 7 min read
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Flyte – The Loved Ones, Album Review

So it’s past 11 o’clock at night, and I have listened to Flyte’s debut album at least five times on repeat today only to be itching to write this review.

On the 7th of September 2017, I visited my local record shop to watch a band who I had never heard of. As a music student, I find it almost a necessity to be able to gain this access to new music, especially from a live prospective, and so without listening on Spotify, or researching into the band, a friend and I took the short 15-mile journey to Marlborough’s Sound Knowledge.

Here, we found a group of four men. One with an acoustic guitar and three without any instruments, each stood behind a microphone. They seemed shocked at the size of the crowd that gathered before them which admittedly was more modest than the usual crowd that gathers in the café. It was said that in some of their record shop shows, they had been playing to six or so people. And Lord only knows why.

"Faithless" is their opening track to the album that I later streamed a dozen times over on Spotify (my student debts will not allow me to purchase any more vinyl). Initially, I thought this was a pretentious sounding song to kickstart an album with, as it just screamed of The Beatles. However, upon further listening, I fell in love. It’s a perfect opener. It doesn’t quite hold that "wow factor" that the album carries as a whole, but it is effective in setting the "vibes" for the rest of the album. Its soothing, catchy melodies sort of pick you up and rock you along as the song progresses through dynamic peaks and troughs with effective use of instrumentation alongside empathetic and gentle lyrics.

"Cathy Come Home" is by far one of my favourites on the album. With a wobbly synth introducing the song and setting the scene, this song holds a lot of beauty in its story. The irony and the contrast that lies between the instrumentation, chord patterns and more uplifting melodies works well against the solemn and serious lyrics. The melody sang through the verse reflects a complacent attitude, like the characters in the song are just "shrugging off" their worries only to be elevated during the chorus. Rather than sounding desperate, the use of synths instead of strings (for example) causes the listener to feel as though the problems "Cathy" has to deal with have only just come to light because the pace of modern day and daily distractions. When you listen to the song in more depth, you can feel a sense of fatigue in the strains that this particular family may be feeling. For me, I can see that "Cathy" has been suffering in an abusive relationship and has been hiding it from her loved ones for a while. Because these loved ones are caught up in work, studies and survival, they have failed to notice and suddenly now, the family has cottoned on, and her struggles have been uncovered. "Cathy come home for supper" is sung at the beginning of the chorus and is a line that sticks out the most. It’s because it’s so simple and caring — "supper" is what families share together, a place where they can communicate to each other and talk about their days. You can almost imagine a family gathered around a pot of stew in a small town house kitchen, with Cathy sat in between her brother and Father, with her life on the mend because she is "home for supper."

To be able to write a song that holds such a story for some takes a lot of skill and that is one of the main reasons why this album had me hooked straight away. Throughout all the songs, you can find these characters and almost get to know them and for me, that helps spread a message (whether that’s intentional from the writer’s point of view or not). Someone, somewhere will fall in love with a piece of music because of what it means to them. I could listen to these songs, and get it completely wrong finding a whole other story or meaning contrary to the one the writer intended for me to hear, but that’s okay, because that’s what makes good music.

The next song that stood out to me is "Sliding Doors." Similar to "Cathy Come Home," the song itself is a complete juxtaposition to the lyrics which is oddly quite refreshing. This song could come across as quite "heavy" in its content, talking about suicide — or at least that’s what I can depict. And although the main vocal melody is consistently haunting, the synths and punchy bass line with accompanying synths allow the listener to feel more positive when listening to this song. "From the 25th floor" holds a vocal slide in "floor" that emulates a descent. Although this may not be purposeful, it is an excellent use of word painting that haunts the listener even more. Without explicitly talking about death, this song still manages to hit home and a send a message that is so prominent in today’s society. On top of all this, the 80s synth sound that runs a theme throughout most of the album, allows us to feel almost reminiscent of a memory that doesn’t necessarily exist. Only through the typical indie, synth sound and topical stories can the listener relate. This album is real life.

For example, listen to the "Annie and Alistair" and think of St Elmo’s Fire or The Breakfast Club. Think of the friendships you have made throughout your life and how those people have been a salvation to the world’s worries. The acoustic guitar’s melody reminds us of simplicity, maybe sitting down for tea with your friends. But to me, this is a story about people who are trying to be there for each other and keep each other together while life continues to get more difficult as they grow, finding complete independence as an adult. "Living it a day at a time" shows some kind of optimism while the chorus progresses into something very visual, asking the question, "Are we alright now?" like they truly are living day by day. Because the lyrical content is very visual, it allows the listener to feel like they belong with these characters. Most people can relate to little things like "the cross on the calendar" or "downing our Bacardi and Cokes." It’s these little references that are so resonant because it’s true, tangible and relatable.

Something that stands out about Flyte is the beautiful vocals contributed by all four of the members. "Orphans of the Storm" and their beautiful cover of "Archie, Marry Me" (by indie/dream pop band Alvvays) home in on this talent with gorgeous, rich harmonies that are almost choral like. The Alvvays cover fits so well within the album because not only is it more simplistic in comparison to the other songs, it’s yet another stunning and reminiscent song that holds a significant place within the album. The harmonies uplift the song and enrich the listener with warmth and joy. References to "student loans" and "scouring the streets for trouble" sparks visions of teenage delinquency and worry-free attitudes, for the sake of love. Although this song is placed at the end of the album, it is an insight as to what life was like before the worry, the bills and the troubles set in. It comes away from the modern society, mental health issues, and abusive relationships, ending the album on more of a positive note. The harmonies, aside from their beauty, still manage to sound melancholy and pessimistic which ties in wonderfully with the entire album. This cover is almost like a sigh of happy relief.

All in all, this album is worth a listen. It is tender, gentle, and intelligent in its delivery. You will go on a journey while the synth pop hooks get trapped in your head. You will fall in love with the characters and the hopeless lifestyle that is romanticised throughout, and maybe even feel a connection to the band. This is a good album to listen to on a bus, on your own, while it rains — as rightfully said by Will Taylor (lead singer) at the record shop show.

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About the Creator

Maddie Christy

Music student with my head in the clouds

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