THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA: Sometimes The World Ain't Enough (ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Following the success of their third album released only thirteen months ago, The Night Flight Orchestra returns to give a sequel to its excellent "Amber Galactic" with the same line-up of faithful nostalgic fans of a beloved musical era.

As the two albums have a relatively short release interval, there is inevitably a strong link between "Amber Galactic" and "Sometimes The World Ain't Enough". The latter is the logical temporal continuation of its elder even if "Sometimes The World Ain't Enough" essentially keeps only the tone of the 80's. Thus, the catchy 'This Time' plays perfectly its role of interface between the two records with its hard rock riff and its piano/guitar solo passage that reminds us Deep Purple while its development makes the title swing into the decade of the Toto and Journey. It is precisely the soft rock and FM language of these bands that comes to mind on many occasions on this record, for example in 'Turn To Miami' whose introduction mischievously refers to the credits of the 80s hit series, the piano debut of 'Sometimes The World Ain't Enough', 'Can't Be That Bad' with its harmonized backing vocals or the classic ballads 'Moments Of Thunder' with its ample arrangements, and 'Lovers In The Rain' with its slightly kitsch aftertaste.

You can't mention the popular music of the 80s without making a detour to pop with disco and funk overtones. In this category there's the dancing 'Paralyzed' with probably the most heady chorus of the album or 'Pretty Thing Closing In' with its typical guitar phrasing. Night Flight Orchestra pay homage in their own way to progressive in a finale of almost ten minutes that demonstrates all the technical talent of the orchestra's musicians and proves all their mastery of the more demanding composition while remaining perfectly fluid and in the tone of an album with a light and festive colour. As with "Amber Galactic", listening to "Sometimes The World Ain't Enough" never sounds like a bad pastiche. The love and respect of the musicians for this musical era can be heard every second, first of all in Bjorn Strid's voice, which is more plastic than ever (the high notes of 'Barcelona', his fragility in the choruses of 'Pretty Thing Closing In') and one can only bow to the sincerity and authenticity deployed here.

Of course, the surprise effect caused by "Amber Galactic" is difficult to find a year later with "Sometimes The World Ain't Enough", however good it may be. But the Night Flight Orchestra doesn't nourish its approach with the mercantile ambition to surf on the effect of the revival very much in vogue lately and judiciously thinks its evolution by offering a record in total connection with its elder. Even more accessible than its predecessor, this new album should convert new adepts to the jubilant entertainment of The Night Flight Orchestra, which once again plays right and wonderfully restores the spirit of a whole era. - Official website

THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA

SOMETIMES THE WORLD AIN'T ENOUGH

NUCLEAR BLAST

ROCK