ALBUM REVIEW: Give Us The Moon – The Night Flight Orchestra
Time to take to the skies once again – THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA are back. Formed in 2007 by members of SOILWORK and ARCH ENEMY after they bonded over a mutual love of 80s rock and metal. the band – now an octet – have become one of heavy music’s greatest live parties, bringing huge melodies and conga lines to rooms all over Europe. This, their first album in four years, marks a new chapter, not only because 2021’s Aeromantic II record was the second and final in their most recent duology, but it’s also the first without founding guitarist David Andersson, who passed away in 2022 at the age of just 47. On their new home of Napalm Records, seventh record Give Us The Moon takes off on Friday, 31st January.
In a move that will shock absolutely zero people, THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA have once again taken aviation inspiration on the album, with a number of little spoken word segues setting us back into the atmosphere, like intro track Final Call which sees an announcement for all band members to board the next flight to Tashkent – of all places, the capital of Uzbekistan.
That said, this isn’t a concept album, so it doesn’t need to make perfect sense and, in any event, nobody enjoys this AOR revival for the continuity – they enjoy it for sweeping synthesisers, squealing guitar solos and the throwback to a time in music where it was impossible to drench songs with too much cheese. Stratus is the epitome of this, the big opening chord and driving keyboard line developing into a bouncy, infectious track with Bjorn Strid once again showing off his impressive clean vocal range that seldom sees the light of day in his other band, ably supported by the dreamy backing vocals of Anna Brygård and Åsa Lundman.
True to form, much of Give Us The Moon is upbeat and, appropriately, great for long journeys or escaping into a different plane of reality – such examples are the disco-infused Like The Beating Of A Heart, the huge FOREIGNER vibes in Cosmic Tide and the far out, intergalactic feel of the title track; indeed, all three, like Straus, are led by the brilliant keyboard work of John Lönnmyr, easily the album’s MVP. But THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA aren’t afraid to take a more serious side, especially not in their lyrics, and whilst there isn’t anything as profound as pro-transgender anthem White Jeans this time around, Paloma is a wonderful, emotionally charged power ballad about moving on from a breakup, never looking back and forging ahead.
“Mend your heart, Paloma, let it sing, now let it sing…” croons Strid, as the chorus swells and envelopes all who listen. It’s also not hard to see A Paris Point Of View as a heartfelt tribute to Andersson, albeit one wrapped in multiple layers of funk. “Until the day that I die I will subdue all those memories of pain from when I lost you” Strid sings, as guitarists Sebastian Forslund and newbie Rasmus Ehrnborn keep things ticking with their jaunty string work.
You can’t help but smile when you listen to THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA – they’re the masters at putting grins on faces and dancing urges in feet. Given their general form, it won’t be long before Give Us The Moon has a sister album to go with it and complete another dynamic duo of records to enjoy in tandem; for now though, this will be more than sufficient.
Rating: 8/10
Give Us The Moon is out now via Napalm Records.
Like THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA on Facebook.