Photo credit: Sequoia Ziff
London four-piece Night Flight have made a welcome return with their ‘Songs from Echo Zoo’ EP. These four songs came together during lockdown, meaning the band knew exactly what sound they were going for as soon as they entered the studio – and there’s plenty of talk of travel and destinations that still seem so far away across its running time.
Recent single ‘Dreaming’ opens the EP with talk of how a certain place can define a moment in time or preserve memories of a relationship – here it’s London. There are ’60s vibes in the gorgeous pop hooks and a romantic feel running throughout as Sam Holmes considers how ‘There was nothing but chemistry’ and asks ‘Did you catch yourself dreaming again?’ ‘Canada’ follows in sparser fashion as Sam talks about checking his phone and worrying about missing a flight. This soon moves on to something bigger as he discusses his fondness for the location in the title and how he’ll miss it so much: ‘I hate what you do to me. I find it so hard to leave. I’m head over heels in this country… O Canada’. The gorgeous group harmonies just back up the tender tones.
‘Somethinh Going On’ is more dreamy – think Jeff Buckley and Loney Dear having a jam – but the lyrics are much darker: ‘Drop me into a life where I cannot live’. As the song progresses and reflects more of a fever dream with fears at the forefront, there’s a desire to leave these negative influences behind: ‘Doing my best to let go of the people in my life who try start a fight’. ‘California’ closes the EP in a Grandaddy-esque style as Sam decides ‘I’m making the most of the distance and I think I’m getting over you’. He recalls sleeping in the state and ‘singing songs about love’ but has made the decision to remember these times with fondness.
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