sky road fly - head out of your mind

Sky Road Fly 

Head Out Of Your Mind
self-released; 2013

3.7 out of 5

By Dan Alcantara

Sky Road Fly is an alternative rock band hailing from tropical Madison, Wisconsin. They've been playing together for about four years and have opened for the likes of Against Me!. Since then, they've recorded one release, though I can't seem to find it to compare, and this time around have struck out on their own to record in their rehearsal space. Though there are very energetic moments on the album, I noticed a somewhat melancholy theme running through each song. The band said that the album Head Out Of Your Mind is about chasing a dream, a nightmare, but still a dream.

"KBD" ends with a jam session in which those jamming know that a song has to end at some point. The entire time, the band is as tight as the skin on a fresh apple. The intro to "Current Burn" is very similar to the Beatles "Daytripper" but it quickly becomes its own song, with abstract lyrics and a string section to pull everything together. All of your nightmares come true in "Sirens of the City" as singer Ben Jarosh shouts, "All we see is burning gasoline.” 

I'm a bit confused at choosing to name a song "Steve Kerr" because there isn't really anything in the lyrics that hints at basketball. As I listened to the extended instrumental that concludes "Future Bullet,” I was reminded of a mix of 70's heavy metal and the early 90's alt-rock that characterizes much of the album.

Before hitting record, the band worked very hard on figuring out the direction they wanted each song to go. That is likely the source of their cohesion on the record. And that cohesive sound is evident from the beginning. This is a band that is passionate about music and actually enjoys the process. If I had to pick one thing about the album that just doesn't do it for me, it has to be the vocals. The instruments are performed incredibly well but, unfortunately, the vocal side of the music doesn't always hit the mark (sometimes it does). Even so, it's worth sticking around to hear a band that can play together this well.

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