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What I love about “You Never Know” (Poison City), from Melbourne, Australia’s Flyying Colours is how direct they are with this album. While it took some time to get it out (the record was recorded in 2021), it plays like a raw, one-night jam session.
Lovers of the band will immediately be drawn to the now familiar fuzz-jangle guitars. It’s wonderful to hear Brodie Brümmer and Gemma O’Connor harmonize an octave apart with hushed, haunting results. Meanwhile, an off-kilter dis-ease creeps up in the backdrop of songs that are also amply filled with beautiful crystalline passages.
“Lost Then Found” leads off with humming keys, a killer dark guitar riff, big drums, and a simple bass line. Harmonized vocals give you a sense that a fairly pretty song is brewing, but that’s quickly quashed by an explosion of fuzzy, tremelo’d guitars.
“Long Distance” is a great example of this album’s strength. The song is built upon surprisingly simple melodic structures and a winning formula that balances out calmer moments with storming, full-band assaults. You may be lulled by the peaceful beauty for a minute or two of Spiritualized -esque tripped out moments, but the caffeine kicks in with abrupt controlled detonations.
On this their third album, Flyying Colours often keep things up-tempo. “I Live in a Small Town” is prickly and angular. Guitars are set to “vacuum cleaner” during verses on “Do You Feel The Same?” while the song meanders with such force and bent guitar notes that you can’t help feeling like the room is spinning.
Tracks like “Goodbye to Music” and “Bright Lights” showcase a poppier side of the band. The latter briefly reminds me of fellow Melbourne band, Paper Kites, before veering into My Bloody Valentine territory.
“Modern Dreams” captured me immediately. The intro keyboards sound like strings and melodies brought me back to a long-favorite LP of mine from The Lucy Show (1985’s ”Undone”). Put on “Better on the Hard Side” and see what you think.
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