the flying mighty - Around The Sun

The Flying Mighty

Around The Sun
self-released; 2014

3.7 out of 5

By Ethan Skelton

Can I just say this album Around The Sun started out like a damn album should. Put your best foot forward and waste little time in getting that beautiful riff on its feet. The Flying Mighty must have known that had a gold mine in “Hang Glider” so I applaud their bold move to open with it. 

The world has a lot of rock songs and when you’re looking to make it, it’s pretty hard to find the recipe for success and originality at the same time. This riff has it. A little Silverchair meets late Pearl Jam, but still very much its own. The guitar is full of attack and ruff whine, complete with a satisfying bend and articulation of the chord.

 And those drums are big and support the song from start to finish. The cymbal accents and snare to tom fills are simple and just the right choice. I love how the chorus rides on that crash. As a fellow drummer, sometimes it’s hard to decide which groove gets the heavy treatment and which is best for the hi-hat. The vocals are clean and yet calloused with some solid shouts.

“High Tide” is hard hitting but very atmospheric and melodic in the verses. It’s a well-rounded and upward moving track. The guitars have just the right amount of reverb and sounds perfectly atop the mix. On the pre-chorus, you can’t help but dig that harmony; fiercely introduced with a hearty male counterpart. Here’s some advice - look out for the funk on “Wayside.” It’s strong and fresh with some bop and bang to boot. It’s a little more chugging than any Red Hot Chili Peppers and not as fast as pop/rock. It’s distinct and unlike the rest of the album in that sense.

Hiding in the last track are some of this band’s best moments. Shredding filtered guitar coupled with delicate acoustic and giant drums. Some long-held four-part harmonies that will make you turn up the volume and probably rewind. The Flying Mighty will surprise a lot of people with their brand of rock because it’s appealing to all ages and doesn’t lose energy even when it’s not full throttle.

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