Still Flyin’ All About Spandex, Legwarmers, Parachute Pants [free Mp3]

Double denim, parachute pants, legwarmers, jelly shoes, spandex and Pac Man are what this band, Still Flyin’ (@stillflyinband) are all about. They’re making a pretty solid attempt at reviving the 80s pop decade with excessive keyboard sections, synthesizers and boppy vocals on their sophomore album, On A Bedroom Wall. The band have been partying on stages together since 2004, earning high credo with their last release, Never Gonna Touch the Ground, which helped them land spots on SXSW, The Great Escape and All Tomorrow’s Parties’ lineups.

The band’s earlier releases oozed 80’s trends from influences such as New Order, Tears for Fears and The Cure, but their 2012 album mixes this sound with the new age, party band vibes of Metronomy or the “sunshine troupe sound,” made famous by Architecture in Helsinki. Every track is laced with intricate melody lines and cute beat accentuations, which make them a little more satisfying than background music.

On A Bedroom Wall opens with “Elsie Dorma”, a purely instrumental piece. While this creates a somewhat ‘epic’ illusion for the beginning, the rest of the tracks tend to fall more into the laid-back-cool category. A stand out song on the album is their first single entitled “Travelling Man”, which explores the literal push and shove of striving for success whilst trying to stay grounded in other aspects of life. The addition of vocals from lead singer Sean Rawlin’s wife and band member Mindy Schweitzer-Rawls adds a bouncy, light-heartedness to the song despite its overall lyrical anguish.

The most classically ‘indie’ sounding track on the record is “Candlemaker”, which adds a certain tropical touch (or maybe just a Hawaiian shirt) to the album. With a laidback, descending melody line, a short, punchy bassline, and a monosyllabic chorus, the track is an instant hit off the album. Although there are noticeable genre influences in each song, the 80s music scene is certainly continuing to reign!