Getting together the musicians that comprise Flying Colors can be a challenging task, so it’s hardly surprising that it’s been some little while since 2014’s second nature appeared, with only the supporting tour (and excellent live album) to sate the appetite of fans. Drawing upon the awesome combined talents of Steve Morse, Mike Portnoy, Neal Morse, Dave LaRue and Casey McPherson, the band really hit a home run with second nature, an album that neatly combined sweet pop sensibilities with progressive tendencies and the occasional flash of metal bombast, and the live set captured for second flight showcased a band that was well on its way to forging its own unique place in the great musical firmament. Now, with third degree, the band have returned to make good on the chemistry they’ve developed, offering up nine new songs that will undoubtedly delight fans of the band whilst welcoming the uninitiated to the fold.
Kicking off with unexpected vigour, Flying Colors come storming out of the gate with the heroic riffing of the loss inside, Steve Morse’s heavy riffs paired with Neal Morse’s Lord-esque flourishes on the organ. It’s a blistering start, although the band have never taken the easy route and, just as you’ve got your head around the band’s explosive opening, Dave kicks out a funky bass line and the song changes direction for the verse, all jazzy stabs nailed by Portnoy’s typically expansive beat. What a start! It manages to bring in all the elements that make the Flying Colors such a delight, the space that opens up in the verse perfectly engineered to allow Casey’s vocals to shine through the mix. Of course, opening with such a strong song does set the bar pretty damn high for the album, but the members of Flying Colours have never shirked a challenge, and the band is no different, rising to the task with the soaring brilliance of more a track that harks back to Muse’s classic absolution album for inspiration, focusing on taut dynamic that sees the tense chorus give way to the explosive release of the chorus. In contrast, the string-enhanced beauty of Cadence offers up a moment of nostalgic, autumnal beauty that sounds like something the Beatles might have come up with if they’d followed the trajectory set on pieces like she’s leaving home. With a lovely vocal from Casey and a truly sumptuous sound (thanks to the band’s innovative Harmonic Phrase Analysis and Restoration process), Cadence is as perfect a piece of prog-pop as you’ll ever hear, tastefully played by a band coming to terms with the breadth of their power. Opting to change things around once again, a snippet of studio laughter introduces the shimmering Guardian, a funky, jazzy, soulful piece of music that makes good use of the near psychic interplay between Dave and Mike, whilst the chorus draws on the glorious harmonies of Neal and Casey.
Opening the album’s second half with the epic sound that has been the band’s trademark since they first formed, last train home is a wonderfully rich track that makes full use of the vocal talents within the band, whilst Steve outdoes himself with some wonderfully-restrained guitar work that beautifully augment’s the song’s stately progress, reminding the listener of Steve-Hackett-era Genesis, especially in the song’s complex and dynamic second half. Opting for jazzier pastures, Geronimo sees Flying Colours expanding their horizons once again, with a track that wouldn’t sound out of place on David Gilmour’s last album, the slinky bass and experimental guitar work all combining on a track that, once again, marks Flying Colors out as one of the best vocal harmony bands currently treading the boards. With Steve Morse once again showcasing his remarkable talents, the overwhelming sense is that the band had an absolute blast piecing this jam together in the studio, and that sense of life and laughter is infectious. The band wisely step back for the emotional You are not alone, a track that opens with only Casey and his guitar in singer-songwriter mode. Slowly, the others drift in, Neal’s understated piano adding colour to the sound whilst even Mike underplays perfectly, allowing the music the space it needs to grow. Beautifully written, Casey has a rare gift that allows him to sound like he’s signing directly to you, even at the remove of a studio recording, and the song arguably provides the album with its emotional heart. Another track with a sweet, Beatles-y vibe (with a touch of the Beach Boys for good measure), Love letter is a lovely pop song that, by rights, should be storming the charts right now. It paves the way for the monolithic album closer, the epic crawl, which, once again, sees the band drawing upon a wide range of influences from Muse to Genesis to deliver a melodic, at times explosive, take on prog rock that provides the album with a suitably engaging closer.
With only nine tracks on offer, I was amazed to find that the album lasts for over an hour because it never once drags, and it feels one hell of a lot shorter. Throughout, the band make astounding use of their eclectic talents and influences to deliver a varied album that genre hops with taste and style, and yet somehow flows with enviable coherence. Progressive, but with a gorgeous pop edge, Third Degree is the best effort yet from the Flying Colors and their next outing cannot come soon enough. 9
