Treetop Flyers – Old Habits
Loose Music – 3 December 2021
For their fourth album, the London-based Treetop Flyers, fronted by Reid Morrison, stay comfortably within their established sound, tweaking, refining and polishing without smoothing down the edges to easy listening blandness. So, more Americana shaded with Van Morrison-influenced Celtic soul, classic Faces hues and the finesse of Steely Dan alongside folksier textures, opening proceedings with the dreamy piano-based Golden Hour, and a lovely Southern soul guitar.
Those Van colours are evident too on the more uptempo recent single Dancing Figurines, inspired by a box of old letters and a particular one from an ex-girlfriend, with its mandolin and George Harrison-tinged guitar collaborations, taking the pace down briefly midway before the easy flowing playout with its sha-la-la backing vocals. More of a walking beat strut, embellished with Memphis-flavoured brass 100, is another musically upbeat affair that calls to mind how the Spencer Davis Group channelled American R&B back in the late 60s.
The first single from the album was Castlewood Road, a reflective, nostalgic ballad named for the street on which guitarist Laurie Sherman lives, about returning home summoning the glow of Warm Love era Morrison, keeping the mood mellow for the similarly-influenced River (inspired by a retreat Morrison went on) with Geoffrey Widdowson’s sax adding grace notes to the piano bedrock from guest player Richard Caulson.
The walking beat, piano-based introspective title track leads into the second half in soulful style, that Harrison-like wah wah guitar sound again evident while drawing on a cocktail of The Band and Neil Young before things take a distinctive change of pace for the decidedly Faces-era Rod Stewart sounding Cool Jets, the lyrics of which reference Joan Jett while the bridge has some growly motorbike noises behind the wailing sax and, by way of another swerve, bassist Ned Crowther steps up to the mic for the softly sung, slow swaying mandolin-flecked acoustic Americana and folksy soul of Out The Blue.
It comes to a close with, first, the falsetto strains of the Faces-balladry styled Sometimes shaded with some laid back Boz Scaggs funk and, gathering behind the marching drums, a gospel-like coda fade. And, finally, the five-minute plus piano ballad slow dance, end of the evening sway Night Choir with its cool West Coast jazzy inflections, sax washes and perfectly dreamy ambience as it floats away into the ether on a final sustained note from Morrison. These may be largely musical Old Habits, but veined with affecting understated new tricks to produce a sublime experience that, if not on their native shores, should surely gain them a more expansive platform in America. As Rod himself put it, an old raincoat will never let you down.
Order Old Habits via: Rough Trade