THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA: Amber Galactic (ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

In 2012 Bjorn Strid and David Andersson, singer and guitarist of Soilwork, had opened a first space-time breach by releasing "Internal Affairs" under the name Night Flight Orchestra. What was just a project of virile death metalheads with a passion for classic rock became more than a parenthesis when the second album "Skyline Whispers" was released in 2015. If the impact of Night Flight Orchestra's music on these two albums was rather modest, it should be different with this "Amber Galactic" released by Nuclear Blast.

Night Flight Orchestra seems to approach its albums with a chronological logic if we notice that "Amber Galactic" is in the continuity of "Skyline Whispers" which itself was already moving away from the hard rock of the 60s and 70s of "Internal Affairs". The break in the space-time continuum caused by "Amber Galactic" opens on the 70-80 hinge with classic rock ('Midnight Flyer', 'Space Whisperer'), more funk ('Domino') and more AOR (the ballads 'Something Mysterious' and 'Jennie') inspirations, even with a focus on disco ('Gemini'). Nostalgic fans will be delighted to take a step back in time when Kiss, Boston, Thin Lizzy, Foreigner and Survivor defined rock. Toto's influence is probably the most significant, as much in the riffs, the bridges ('Sad State Of Affairs') as in the piano interventions ('Josephine'), the richness of the choirs ('Star Of Rio', 'Sad State Of Affairs') as in the solos where hovers the shadow of Lukather ('Josephine').

Night Flight Orchestra never falls into the trap of plagiarism or bad caricature because Bjorn and David, who were on their long night flights (hence the band's name) during the Soilwork American tour listening to albums from that period, cherish this music. This is not Bjorn's first attempt to express his appetite for classical rock, if we remember the demo he made under the name of Highball Shooters in 2008, which unfortunately didn't make it to the top of the charts. The pleasure Night Flight Orchestra had to record "Amber Galactic" can be heard every second of the record in the finishing of the compositions and the investment of each of the musicians. This third album is a collection of tracks calibrated to hit the bull's eye from the very first listening with its short, diversified and easily assimilated formats, its unstoppable melodic qualities and its heady choruses (including the excellent 'Star Of Rio' and 'Domino').

Night Flight Orchestra uses all the codes of the time to sound more retro than ever: kitsch keyboards and sound effects ('Gemini'), dubious drum sound ('Star Of Rio'), exuberant vocal harmonies ('Midnight Flyer') and sweetened production ('Saturn In Velvet'). Far from discouraging, we quickly get caught up in the game of a sincere and authentic album to the point of becoming addictive. And a certain lightness doesn't prevent the virility of our Swedes from expressing itself notably through the solid performances of Bjorn, more and more master of his voice which shows an impressive elasticity to go from high-pitched ('Space Whisperer') to low-pitched with power and precision ('Domino' and 'Star Of Rio').

It will only take a hint of open-mindedness to approach this "Amber Galactic" because once won over by her freshness and jovial energy it is difficult to detach oneself from it. "Amber Galactic" is a record that feels good. - Official website

THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA

AMBER GALACTIC

NUCLEAR BLAST

ROCK