...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI.



..::OPIS::..

Trzeci studyjny album rockowej supergrupy o czym ewidentnie przypominają i tytuł płyty i jej okładka. Gdy dodamy do tego dwie koncertówki zauważymy, że grupa (od 2012 roku) pod względem wydawniczym, jest całkiem płodna, jak na skład skupiający niezwykle zapracowanych w innych zespołach muzyków. Z drugiej strony to pierwsze premierowe dźwięki po pięciu latach. Jak one brzmią?

Wielkich zmian i zaskoczeń nie ma. Chciałoby się napisać „stare dobre Flying Colors”, w którym słychać wpływ kapel, z którymi związani są poszczególni artyści (by wymienić tylko Deep Purple, Dixie Dregs, Winery Dogs, Dream Theater, Transatlantic, czy Spock's Beard).

Zdawał się to potwierdzać, jeszcze przed wydaniem albumu Mike Portnoy, mówiąc że Flying Colors to: piątka facetów o niezwykle różnych osobowościach muzycznych i różnym pochodzeniu, którzy tak jakby łączą się w gigantycznym tyglu i wówczas powstaje muzyka bardzo melodyjna, głęboka i kolorowa. I jeszcze dodawał optymistycznie, że w każdym z nowych utworów jest o wiele więcej słodyczy niż dotychczas. Każdy utwór zabiera słuchacza w małą podróż, ale od początku do końca jest to bardzo przyjemna wycieczka.

Osobiście nie podzielam aż tak wielkiego entuzjazmu byłego bębniarza Dream Theater. Bo wydaje mi się, że tym razem wyszedł im album mniej chwytający od „pierwszego wejrzenia”. Oczywiście w dalszym ciągu jest tu mnóstwo ciekawych melodii, wokalnych harmonii (wszechobecni The Beatles) i dobrych refrenów, jednak trzeba im poświęcić więcej czasu i uwagi. Trzeba się najzwyczajniej osłuchać. To dalej muzyka zagrana ze sporą finezją i technicznym luzem, z pewnością fantastycznie sprawdzająca się w koncertowym entourage’u, a jednak tym razem chyba bardziej rockowo rozkrzyczana (The Loss Inside, More). Muzyka, w której czuje się, że chwilami poszczególni muzycy, świadomi swoich możliwości, grają ciut za dużo, nie dając większego oddechu. Takim namacalnym dowodem niech będzie, w zasadzie tylko jedna, klasyczna ballada, przejmująca You Are Not Alone, którą zresztą zespół wykorzystał do promocji. Okej, możemy jeszcze do tego dorzucić bardzo udany Cadence i równie dobry, epicki Last Train Home, które jednak nieco giną w ogólnym wyrazie albumu. Mam wrażenie, że na Flying Colors i Second Nature było po prostu więcej fajnych piosenek.

Ponadto, mimo wielu progresywnych tropów, które możemy odnaleźć w dyskografii każdego z muzyków, niewiele tu tego klasycznie rozumianego proga. Ten, w bardzo ładnej formie, dostajemy na sam koniec w postaci najdłuższego w zestawie Crawl, jednego z moich tu absolutnie ulubionych utworów.

Mimo wszystko nie powiem wiele złego o tej płycie. Poświęciłem jej sporo czasu, chętnie do niej wracam i nucę kilka tematów. To znak, że swoje potrafi oddać. Bo to dobra rzecz. Tylko, albo aż. Być może oczekiwania miałem nieco większe?

Mariusz Danielak



Flying Colors is a successful Prog Related supergroup that was formed in 2011 from an idea by producer Bill Evans. He wanted to bring together some giants of prog rock to create songs that were accessible and complex. He recruited Steve Morse (Dixie Dregs), Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), Neal Morse (Spock's Beard), Dave LaRue (Dixie Dregs), and pop singer Casey Mc Pherson (Alpha Rev) who was signed with Disney records. This core line up has survived miraculously enough, through three albums to this point. Their 3rd album, released in October of 2019, is called "Third Degree" and features 9 tracks with a total run time of over 66 minutes. Of course, there is always a danger of hitting that fine line where people that love their music formualaic will find a supergroup such as this to be too complex, or progressive lovers will find it too commercial. The question is, does "Flying Colors" music land on that fine line?
Beginning with "The Loss Inside" (5:50), you get a song that begins with the full band playing at full force with a tasty guitar riff and the deep, somewhat gruff vocals. The music stays rather heavy with some great guitar solos and a nice organ solo. The music takes on the same feel as Asia, accessible but just a notch above the standard pop. The influences of Spock's Beard and Dream Theater are there, but in a more watered-down format. However, this track is a great opener and should get everyone's attention right off the bat. "More" (7:09) continues with the heavier pop sound, this time with vocals that are slightly processed and the song ends up sounding like something by "Muse" this time. I can see, however, that many people are going to hit the "like" button for this one because it is instantly likeable, but I also feel that it will wear itself out quickly, as it sounds like it's been done before, and it has more or less. The symphonic sound that comes in half-way through is a nice touch, and the interplay with keys and guitar is also appealing, but again, the question is whether it will hold up to the test of time. The music slows and quiets down when the vocals come back, and Casey continues with his best Matt Bellamy impression, then the band kicks back in and eventually return to the main theme. The music is professional and well developed, as you would probably expect considering the line-up involved.

"Cadence" (7:40) moves to a softer tone, but is heavy in the symphonic keys department. The vocals are a bit annoying here as the vocalist continues to imitate other vocalists. He can hold his own okay, but so far, I have a hard time hearing a tone or style in his singing that would make him recognizable. The music turns to an accessible Neo-prog style as it goes on, but when I say accessible, it is, so don't expect anything surprising or that really stands out here. The music takes on a slightly pompous attitude, even being lighter than the first two tracks, and more accessible. It's a bit boring. "Guardian" (7:10) starts off with pre-planned studio chatter that is supposed to sound like it was unexpectedly placed on the song and give everyone that warm and fuzzy feeling that we are listening to musical gods at work. Just like the previous track, this one is prog-lite, maybe even to a larger extent. There is a nice bass solo put in there though that eventually develops into a running guitar bridge that takes it all predictably back to the main theme. The problem is, the main theme on this track is a bit weak.

"Last Train Home" (10:31) has a slower, yet majestic sound to it, very "Asia"-like. Casey utilizes his full chest voice, trying to sound a bit operatic, but quickly giving up on that. After a couple of boring verses and choruses, the music speeds up a bit and builds up for an instrumental break, which features a Spock's Beard-like synth solo which finally falls off to acoustic strumming and more vocals. The attempt to be more personal for the listener just sounds contrived. Then there is some embarrassing vocal scatting that follows the guitar. It's impressive that the song is well developed and it does manage to break the 10 minute mark, but you end up feeling like it was 10 long minutes. "Geronimo" (5:19) goes for a funky vibe with layered vocals. There is some nice, tricky rhythmic patterns here, but it still remains quite accessible, and a bit too poppy for my own taste. The funkiness doesn't really feel that believable either.

"You Are Not Alone" (6:21) was penned by Casey about the effects of Hurricane Harvey in Austin, TX, which is where he is from. It does seem heartfelt enough, but it's really quite straightforward and is also obviously intended as a single. This is probably one track, even though it is far from progressive, that seems like the band is the most connected to, and Casey's vocals really connect here. It's also not quite as sappy as I thought it would be. It is straight forward pop though. "Love Letter" (5:09) is another single from the album, and is just way too happy sounding, perfect for skipping down the sidewalk. Definitely ackkkk-worthy. They're trying to make a Beach Boys song here and failing miserably. It's the kind of song that Frank Zappa would make fun of if Casey ever became his lead singer (of course we know that is impossible now), but think of The Turtles "Happy Together" and you'll have the right idea.

The last track is "Crawl" and comes in at an impressive 11:14 minutes. It starts with piano and somewhat annoying vocals. The light symphonic pop sound comes in as the music develops a bit, and then releases the attention in a repeating bridge that move predictably to a chorus. Rinse and repeat with a little more vigor the 2nd time. Then we move into a Asia-style instrumental break, progressive, but predictable, with a lot of the usual rapid guitar notes. Later, the music calms and processed vocals come in, and it sounds like Muse has returned.

For the more "adventurous" listener, there is a special edition available which gives you a bonus disk with 6 more songs! Wow! Don't be fooled into this one because it consists of one more original track, and then 5 instrumental versions of songs that you have already heard on this album. It's not worth the trouble.

In the end, the band definitely does what it was created to do, make progressive-lite music that is very accessible. However, it seems to me that it is mostly uninspired, taking age-old formulaic patterns and regurgitating them into another progressive pop band very similar to Asia and Muse. The best songs are the first two, and then I tend to get lost in the feeling of sameness that follows. You've heard it all before, but I know there is a market for the style. It all sounds good enough on the first go round, but subsequent listenings will be less enthusiastic. If music along the lines of Asia, Alan Parsons and so on is something you love, then you should check this out, but be warned that it feels a bit contrived and predictable. 3 stars seems like a fair rating.

TCat



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. The Loss Inside
2. More
3. Cadence
4. Guardian
5. Last Train Home
6. Geronimo
7. You Are Not Alone
8. Love Letter
9. Crawl

Unreleased Bonus Studio Track:
10. Waiting For The Sun



..::OBSADA::..

Casey McPherson - vocals, guitar
Steve Morse - guitar, vocals
Neal Morse - keyboards, vocals
Dave LaRue - bass
Mike Portnoy - drums & percussion




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFADN9PqTVc



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