Album Review: The Night Flight Orchestra - Aeromantic II
Reviewed by Richard Oliver
Like countless other bands across the globe, The Night Flight Orchestra had their 2020 plans well and truly ruined with covid striking whilst the band were a handful of dates into the tour for their Aeromantic album. Instead of seeing this as a defeat, the band instead retreated back into the studio and a mere 18 months later we are treated to the sixth album by the band Aeromantic II.
Aeromantic II is very much the worthy successor to its predecessor building upon and improving the sound the band have developed since their conception. For those of you in the dark, The Night Flight Orchestra is a supergroup featuring members of Soilwork and Arch Enemy amongst others and was born out of a mutual love of AOR from singer Bjorn “Speed” Strid and David Andersson whilst on a Soilwork tour in 2007. It is very much a homage to the soft rock and AOR of the 1970’s and 1980’s with nods to pop, disco, funk and soul along the way. Needless to say this music is enormous fun and the band sound like they are having enormous fun on these recordings. The album is bursting at the seams with huge catchy bangers. As well as lead singles Burn For Me, Chardonnay Nights and White Jeans you get songs such as Violent Indigo, How Long, Amber Through A Window and You Belong The Night which are such colossal earworms that once embedded into your subconscious these songs are going to take weeks to shift. Seriously this album is so catchy it should come with a warning label. The throwback feel to this album is very much accentuated by the fantastic keyboard work from John Fredrik Lönnmyr with that distinctive retro synth sound very much matching the mood. There is nifty guitar work from David Andersson whilst the bass from Sharlee D’Angelo is rock solid but funky as hell. The vocals from Speed are as fantastic as always and he is ably assisted by the wonderful backing singer duo of The Airline Annas - Anna-Mia Bonde and Anna Helena Brygård.
Aeromantic II is very much one of the best albums that The Night Flight Orchestra have done. Despite being written and recorded against horrible circumstances it proves to be one of the most joy-filled and fun albums in the band's discography. At times sounding like the AOR bands of yesteryear whilst also veering into vintage pop territory and also sounding like the soundtrack to a killer 80’s movie, Aeromantic II is a veritable feast for the ears. That being said if you are averse to cheesy rock and pop music then this album should probably be avoided at all costs. I for one love a good wedge of cheese in my life and this album is one that is going to be getting regular spins from me. Absolutely glorious stuff.
