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Flash Bang Band Rod: Drums / Samples / Vox Dan: Bass / Vox Ian: Keys / Trumpet / Vox Andy: Guitar / Vox They've been together for just over a year now but from their EP 'Random Acts of Kindness' it really doesn't sound like it. Their music has it's own refined characteristics which you don't often find in a band so young. It doesn't seem like they're still finding their feet and flittering about with contrasting sounds. It's clear they've worked out what they want to do and are exploring that arena with great success. By their own descriptions they're psychedelic. It's a true statement especially on track 'Little Lost Lamb'. Unlike your usual stereotypical psychedelica song which usually feels like your floating around smiling your gormless face off and taking all the beautiful colours in, 'Little Lost Lamb' feels more like you're being dragged through some strange, dark LSD film Noir world by a deranged sheep who after a short while begins bleating in your face until you cry. Of course if you have a serious aversion to woollen animals, not all of their songs are like that. 'A Good Excuse' for example feels like it occupies the same Noir world but in a future where there are no sheep left, just humans listening to dubbish music and hanging around with robots drinking oil on the bolts. After the enjoyabley bleak beginning the song picks up energy giving the impression of the sun suddenly coming up on a city that;s been dark for 100 years. To really get the full effect of this song it needs to be seen live and the Flash Bang Band is a group I would heavily suggest on going out and seeing.  
Not all of their songs evoke trippy wastelands and my favourite of their songs, 'I Want To Better Myself' shows the band most mature side. The song is instantly loveable right from it's first line. I really can't fault it in a single way. It's very hard to fault a song that suggests you to buy a new hat. It's a well thought out song that's extremely well written. It doesn't follow a simple formula, nor does it over complicate. It occupies that perfect middle of being memorable without getting stuck in your head annoyingly and being interesting without faffing about with obscure time signatures and gamelan instruments. The stand out part of this song is probably the vocal melody throughout. Damon Albarn would be proud. The Flash Bang Band are a group that have certainly show they've got the song writing skills and originality to do really well. I'm sure their next recording will be better than their first, which is no easy feet but they seem like a band that have the intelligence to know when too much is too much and when something isn't enough. -Words by Joshua Boyd www.myspace.com/flashbangwallop |
