FLYING MACHINES - New Life
Ubuntu UBU00017
Alex Munk - guitar & vocal; Matt Robinson - piano & keys; Conor Chaplin - bass; Dave Hamblett - drums
This second release from highly-rated guitarist Munk’s Flying Machines ensemble continues to roaring along the broad highway they set off along for their 2016 debut, but now with even more gas in the tank and power under the hood. Opener ‘New Life’ sees Munk turn the rock up, with a convincingly gritty toned riff laden with power chords and surging arpeggios launching the band off on a prog rock journey that takes in frantic shredding solos, ambient textured breakdowns and tricky rhythmic twists and turns that hark back to 80s era King Crimson. Short interlude ‘Blink’ crunches the guitars even more - Conor Chaplin shows his boundless flexibility and imagination as a bassist, equally at home here among the riffs and effects as he is on upright in other, straight jazz projects, and ’Moondust’ has echoes of Frisell in its langourous twang and Tony Levin in its low end squelch. ‘Elation’ has a wordless vocal from Munk adding to the general sense of uplift, and a lovely series of exchanges between Munk and the excellent Robinson on acoustic piano; Hamblett and Chaplin are an endlessly inventive, virtuosic rhythm section, equally capable of precision on the many through-composed sections and exciting freedom to support the solo spots. There are lots of intricate passages, and sudden tempo and metre changes and accurate but thoroughly spirited playing from all that shows evidence of the extensive touring schedule that supported the last release.
Overall, for all the extra pumped distortion pedals, the first record’s sense of prettiness remains; chord sequences are accessible, keyboard textures cushion the general sound, the drumming is intricate but also careful and precise, attractive melodies such as ‘Kilter’ would translate equally well to a straight jazz context.For all the swagger of ‘Fall In’ and the Squarepusher-esque interlude of ‘Bullet Train’, there is the possibility that this release may rock too hard for the jazz crowd but not hard enough for the rockers. Alex Munk and co are off on their own journey - let’s hope that they persuade plenty of others to join the ride.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
Ubuntu UBU00017
Alex Munk - guitar & vocal; Matt Robinson - piano & keys; Conor Chaplin - bass; Dave Hamblett - drums
This second release from highly-rated guitarist Munk’s Flying Machines ensemble continues to roaring along the broad highway they set off along for their 2016 debut, but now with even more gas in the tank and power under the hood. Opener ‘New Life’ sees Munk turn the rock up, with a convincingly gritty toned riff laden with power chords and surging arpeggios launching the band off on a prog rock journey that takes in frantic shredding solos, ambient textured breakdowns and tricky rhythmic twists and turns that hark back to 80s era King Crimson. Short interlude ‘Blink’ crunches the guitars even more - Conor Chaplin shows his boundless flexibility and imagination as a bassist, equally at home here among the riffs and effects as he is on upright in other, straight jazz projects, and ’Moondust’ has echoes of Frisell in its langourous twang and Tony Levin in its low end squelch. ‘Elation’ has a wordless vocal from Munk adding to the general sense of uplift, and a lovely series of exchanges between Munk and the excellent Robinson on acoustic piano; Hamblett and Chaplin are an endlessly inventive, virtuosic rhythm section, equally capable of precision on the many through-composed sections and exciting freedom to support the solo spots. There are lots of intricate passages, and sudden tempo and metre changes and accurate but thoroughly spirited playing from all that shows evidence of the extensive touring schedule that supported the last release.
Overall, for all the extra pumped distortion pedals, the first record’s sense of prettiness remains; chord sequences are accessible, keyboard textures cushion the general sound, the drumming is intricate but also careful and precise, attractive melodies such as ‘Kilter’ would translate equally well to a straight jazz context.For all the swagger of ‘Fall In’ and the Squarepusher-esque interlude of ‘Bullet Train’, there is the possibility that this release may rock too hard for the jazz crowd but not hard enough for the rockers. Alex Munk and co are off on their own journey - let’s hope that they persuade plenty of others to join the ride.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
