Wild Honey - Big Flash

by Malcolm Carter

published: 10 / 4 / 2013

Label: Lovemonk
Format: CD

Irresistable and addictive second album of 60's-influenced summery jazz pop from Italian group, Wild Honey

Review

Some artists wear their influences unashamedly on their sleeve, especially those who recreate the sounds of the golden era of the 60s and 70s. Unfortunately for those who actually lived through those decades it is often a case of heard it all before. In many cases nothing new has been added. There are exceptions, of course. Dodson & Fogg have, in the last six months, released not one but two excellent albums that while deeply rooted in the pysch/prog sounds of the 60s and 70s still sound fresh and exciting. It is a difficult task, taking sounds that we are all so familiar with and shaping something new from them. ew artists can achieve this but it seems that Wild Honey main man Guillermo Farre is more than up to the job. On ‘Big Flash’, the sophomore album by Wild Honey, the work of bands like Free Design looms large but rather than just recreate that band's jazzy take on sunshine pop Farre has used that sound as a base to expand his own musical vision. ‘Big Flash’ is no carbon copy; it sounds fresh, vibrant and exciting. Multi-instrumentalist Farre, who wrote the twelve songs on ‘Big Flash’, has already released a full-length album, ‘Epic Handshakes and a Bear Hug’, and a couple of EPs which also displayed his love of 50's and 70's music but for this album Farre employed the services of Stereolab’s Tim Gane as producer. It was an inspired, if not telling, move. What the finished album would have sounded like without Gane’s input is anyone’s guess, but these songs sound so complete, so perfect that it’s impossible not to be completely taken in by the mellowness of the songs and drift into Farre’s world for the duration of the album. Nothing else matters for the half an hour that the album plays for; Farre’s dreamy vocals and inviting melodies are irresistible. For all the Free Design and tropicalia influences ‘Big Flash’ does display enough originality to keep even the most jaded 60's music fan interested. The complex arrangements belie what initially sound like simple, catchy pop songs. Every song is instantly irresistible. It is like like waking up to the sun streaming in through a gap in your bedroom curtains. It is an album full of feel-good songs. The opening track, ‘An Army of Fat Synths’, lightens the darkest of moods. It is so addictive. The breezy vocals demand your attention, and the addition of what sound like female vocals (there is a distinct lack of information available about the musicians on this album), apart from confirming those Free Design influences, add texture, colour and more of that glorious classic lazy sunshine pop feel to the song. It is a perfect opener for what is to follow. There is a touch of psych-era Beatles to ‘The Kite and Captain John’. The lysergic feel that drifts in and out of many of the songs on ‘Big Flash’ is at its most predominant here. The way Farre and Gane take so many obvious influences yet still come up with a sound that doesn’t sound in any way the least bit dated or that it ia a direct rip-off is fascinating. One gets the feeling that you’ve heard these songs before but you know you haven’t. Creating sounds that are instantly familiar but strangely fresh and contemporary is a skill that obviously comes naturally to Farre and Gane. Although all twelve songs share a common overall sound, there is variety spread through the album. The bossa nova feel explored on ‘My Memory May Also be a Wish’ is an expected but perfectly executed move but the driving beat of ‘It’s All in the Film’ is more of a surprise. While never actually resorting to directly sounding like them , there is a Beach Boys vibe around some of the songs. Wilson songs like ‘You’re So Good to Me’ enter the mind while listening to ‘Big Flash’, and it is not just because of the bands name. Maybe that’s what makes this album so appealing.Farre has taken an obvious influence, that of Free Design, and added subtle changes to that bands' sound to create music that is his own. The fragile ‘See How My Heart is Beating’ is a haunting late summer days song. The almost whispered male/female vocals float above a gorgeous, lilting melody to create a piece of musical perfection. It is a highlight of the album but not the only song here that will take your breath away. ‘Big Flash’ is going to be the soundtrack not only to this year’s summer, but for many more to come. It is a highly accomplished collection of intelligent pop songs. ‘Big Flash’ won’t change your world, but it will make your summers last that little bit longer.

Track Listing:-

1 An Army of Fat Synths
2 The Kite And Captain John
3 It's All In The Film
4 My Memory May Also Be A Wish
5 Gothic Fiction
6 See How Hard My HeartIs Beating
7 Rogerio Duprat Looks Out The Window
8 The Newlyweds
9 Tooth Tree
10 Keyboards Under A Microscope
11 Scissors In Hand
12 Cleopatra

Band Links:-

http://thisiswildhoney.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thisiswildhon
https://twitter.com/thisiswildhoney
https://www.youtube.com/user/thisiswil
https://www.instagram.com/thisiswildho