Final Flash – Homeless
Last year I saw Final Flash at NXNE (you can read my review here). I wasn’t impressed with their stage show but I did like their music. This year, I have their debut album in my hot little hands and I’ve got to say it – you did good, boys. I was really, really impressed with this album. It wears it’s classic folk-rock/psychedelic roots proudly and although it sounds familiar it is definitely not derivative or banal. You can hear all the typical classic rock influences from Tom Petty to Pink Floyd but the guys from Final Flash have wisely put their own stamp on the sound. The opener, Chosen Generation, has a definite Pettyish vibe to it but the band has twisted it into something both more contemporary and yet timeless. And that is the strength of these ten songs, they have a timeless quality to them. You feel that these are songs that you will still be listening to years from now.
Joey Chaperon Cyr, Alexandre Girard, Maxime Hébert, Mathieu Bourret and Andre Bendahan hail from Montreal and have had a rather thrilling ride through the musical landscape this past year. From performing at the Toronto International Film Festival’s Canadian Music Cafe showcase in 2008 to launching a highly successful tour of China in 2009, the result of which saw the band being asked to return this year for a tour of the Asian festival circuit, Final Flash has been making increasingly bigger waves on the Canadian music scene. And deservedly so. There is a freshness to their sound that belies their classic roots and never becomes boring even after repeated listens. In fact, I found myself liking them more after the fourth or fifth listen than I did at the beginning. And I have to say that Chaperon Cyr’s vocals are quite brilliant on the album though I remember having a bit of a problem with them live. His voice is quite flexible and although lacks depth, has control and good clarity of tone. It does shine on such tunes as Go Outside, We Leave the Forest and Waiting for the Sun (a personal favourite along with We Leave the Forest).
The other band members are no slouches either, whether launching into blistering guitar solos, throbbing drum beats, psychedelic sitar lines or beautiful piano melodies, they keep the songs moving along at a brisk pace never allowing the tunes to get out of control or boring. We Leave the Forest is a case in point, from the opening guitar/bass/piano melody we are taken on a soothing journey that contrasts with the lyrics, “We leave the forest because we are machines”. It’s a nice contrast which is followed by Rain of Stones with it’s Beach Boy-style harmonies that are in contrast to the tribal drumming and raucous guitar riffs. All this disparity within the songs keeps them fresh and interesting leading to new discoveries on subsequent listens. It keeps your brain working and your toes tapping.
You can find Final Flash on MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. You can buy Homeless from iTunes, http://store.indica.mu/fr/nouveautes/final-flash-homeless Indica Records and Amazon. They will be playing the NXNE festival this Thursday (June 17) at the El Mocambo so if I were you I would mark that date on my calendar. Don’t despair though, if you miss them at the El Mo they will be back in TO on July 28 playing at the Horseshoe with Spoon. You can find more tour listings on their MySpace and Facebook pages.
Final Flash – When the Day Turns Black
Final Flash – The Awakening
Final Flash – We Leave The Forest
