Flap! – A Great Day For The Race (28/05/2012)
The five-piece Melbourne local band Flap! has released their second album, A Great Day For The Race. The band has kept their 1920s jazz/swing sound while incorporating a range of influences both old and new. The mix of influences bringing together a tasting plate of many genres and instruments to create an entirely new sound with a unique Australian flair.
Flap!, made up primarily of double bass, cornet, trombone, banjo, ukulele, drums and a mix Eamon McNelis and Jess Guille’s vocals, breathes new life into 1920s speakeasy swing, with brass and folk styles and the laidback feel suited to an Aussie pub. The complexity of the instrumentals, both on their own and combined with the vocal tracks, create a depth to the music that we have come to expect from larger jazz groups. Topped off with the twang of an Aussie accent in the vocals, this album plays as a distinctively Australian sound.
The first single off the album, Rock In Space, combines the best of the 1920s jazz style with a modern Australian groove. It opens with an upbeat ukulele line, before introducing the horns, so starts off with a bubbly jazz tone. Guille’s vocals build on the tone of the track, adding the modern edge to the piece and brings an Australian flair with her accent. The vocals blend perfectly with the lively instrumentals, playing up the folk and blues influences of the track.
Solitude, the third track of the album highlights the skilful integration of the complex melodies and the horn lines while maintaining their original take on the jazz genre. The styling of this track lends more to the New Orleans Jazz style, with a solid swing beat and the complimentary brass instruments. Guille’s ability to adapt her vocal range to suit different styles is also highlighted in this track with her choice of soprano notes blending with the heavier brass section.
The seventh track, Come To My Funeral, and it’s instrumental introductory track, Flee As A Bird, plays as a funeral track before picking up into the upbeat tune of the earlier tracks. The tracks, carried through on a slow drum line and a restrained horn melody, follow the similar track listing of early jazz records with the slow break in the middle of the album. The vocals of this track, along with several others including The Princess Mary Rag, sung by Eamon McNelis, create an interesting contrast to the lighter vocals of Guille while still continuing within the jazz and folk styles of their musical genres.
Overall, this album presents an intriguing exploration of 1920s jazz stylings with influences of more modern genres. Flap! has successfully presented their own, original take on this genre by adding a rather eccentric Australian flair to their music. And to put it quite simply, any band that integrates a wobbleboard into their sound most certainly deserves to be listened to.
Bethany Williams
Flap!, made up primarily of double bass, cornet, trombone, banjo, ukulele, drums and a mix Eamon McNelis and Jess Guille’s vocals, breathes new life into 1920s speakeasy swing, with brass and folk styles and the laidback feel suited to an Aussie pub. The complexity of the instrumentals, both on their own and combined with the vocal tracks, create a depth to the music that we have come to expect from larger jazz groups. Topped off with the twang of an Aussie accent in the vocals, this album plays as a distinctively Australian sound.
The first single off the album, Rock In Space, combines the best of the 1920s jazz style with a modern Australian groove. It opens with an upbeat ukulele line, before introducing the horns, so starts off with a bubbly jazz tone. Guille’s vocals build on the tone of the track, adding the modern edge to the piece and brings an Australian flair with her accent. The vocals blend perfectly with the lively instrumentals, playing up the folk and blues influences of the track.
Solitude, the third track of the album highlights the skilful integration of the complex melodies and the horn lines while maintaining their original take on the jazz genre. The styling of this track lends more to the New Orleans Jazz style, with a solid swing beat and the complimentary brass instruments. Guille’s ability to adapt her vocal range to suit different styles is also highlighted in this track with her choice of soprano notes blending with the heavier brass section.
The seventh track, Come To My Funeral, and it’s instrumental introductory track, Flee As A Bird, plays as a funeral track before picking up into the upbeat tune of the earlier tracks. The tracks, carried through on a slow drum line and a restrained horn melody, follow the similar track listing of early jazz records with the slow break in the middle of the album. The vocals of this track, along with several others including The Princess Mary Rag, sung by Eamon McNelis, create an interesting contrast to the lighter vocals of Guille while still continuing within the jazz and folk styles of their musical genres.
Overall, this album presents an intriguing exploration of 1920s jazz stylings with influences of more modern genres. Flap! has successfully presented their own, original take on this genre by adding a rather eccentric Australian flair to their music. And to put it quite simply, any band that integrates a wobbleboard into their sound most certainly deserves to be listened to.
Bethany Williams