Gonna start the week (belatedly) with Aussie psychedelic shoegaze act Flyying Colours, and their 2016 single “Long Holiday.” This isn’t necessarily my favorite song this Melbourne fourpiece has crafted. But it’s definitely one of their more listener friendly and accessible tracks, particularly for those who aren’t acclimated to kaleidoscopic six-string soundscapes of sculptured fuzz and feedback, as well as featherweight wisps of vocal intonations. I’ll actually get to some of my favs in a little bit.
But for starters, “Long Holiday” fits the immediate bill. Thematically, and quite literally, it rings true of the extended staycation I’ve been celebrating, and sometimes enduring, in an effort to recharge, rejuvenate, and rebalance my mind and body. I wouldn’t go so far as to equate it to a culmination of much-needed time off. But it works just the same.
There’s a simplicity and lightness to its breezy dreaminess, an appropriate tune to punctuate the Summer Solstice, which was a few days ago, and add a bit of buoyancy to the days to come. It’s catchy and melodic, probably more akin to dream-pop. But the shoegazey qualities seep quite deeply into the melodic mesmerism. I could totally see this one going loud and deafening in the live setting. Here, it’s entirely listenable and quite easy on the ears.
It’s also a logical step for a band that’s been around since 2011. “Long Holiday” hails from their last album “Mindfullness,” which came out back in 2016. So it ain’t exactly recent. But neither is it old, or dated, unless you consider the shoegaze sound to be such. And shoegaze, as a whole, is a callback to the guitar-based psychedelic wall of sound bands from the ’60s & ’70s. Retro is built into the defining qualities by default.
Here’s Flyying Colours’ “Long Holiday,” for starters, plus an appropriately vintage-styled music video.
“Long Holiday” from the 2016 album “Mindfullness.”
As previously mentioned, I’ve got a few favs from Flyying Colours that date back to the early days, around 2013 to be exact. These two, “Like You Said” and the aptly titled “Wavygravy” come from their eponymous debut EP. And as hinted, these tunes skew quite firmly towards the sonics, embracing the shoegaze ethos of guitar-stacked intensity and reverb-hazed melody. They’re a bit heavier on the chords, vibratory and fuzzed, yet entirely listenable nonetheless. It’s what I’d imagine “Long Holiday” to sound like in the live forum. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the opportunity to see them perform. They’re from half a world away, and they’re a bit smaller and more niche than the average indie band. So it may be awhile, if ever.
Anyway, these two tracks bring to mind such like-minded English adorations as Ride or Slowdive, when both were at their early ’90s peak. And had I not known any better, I would’ve assumed Flyying Colours came from that era, as well. They don’t feel like a knockoff, or even a sincere imitation of the genre. Rather, they naturally embody that wall of sound aura of old, embracing and articulating it with such sincerity and authenticity, that it would seem as if they were always there from the get go.
I’ve taken both embeds from the 2015 album”EPX2,” which remastered their older EPs, fashioning them into one complete album. They’re essentially the same songs, with a bit better production polish overall. Here they are , “Like You Said” and “Wavygravy.”
“Like You Said” reissued on the 2015 album “EPX2.” Originally from the 2013 EP “Flyying Colours.”
“Wavygravy” reissued on the 2015 album “EPX2.” Originally from the 2013 EP “Flyying Colours.”
Lastly, I’ve included a music video for “Wavygravy,” which is mainly performance-based, with lots of hazy-dazy washes of color, light, and image, abstracted and layered atop for total hallucinatory effect. Enjoy!
