ALBUM + LIVE REVIEW: Flagland

lovehardcover_web

Brooklyn based trio Flagland is releasing their third full length album, Love Hard, on February 25th on Father Daughter Records. For Love Hard, Flagland drew from a number of ingredients to cook up their own specific and unique musical concoction of panicky rock. Kerry Kalberg (vocals and guitar), Dan Francia (bass and vocals) and Nick Dooley (drums)  incorporate punk, 90s fuzz, and grunge rock, each genre coming together to give Flagland an oddly cohesive personality and sound.


When I first heard “Comfortable Life” some weeks ago, I was blown away by the composition. The song breathed life and developed momentum effortlessly. My mistake, however was valuing the music above the lyrics of the song. Flagland stepped it up and dug a little deeper with their lyrics on Love Hard. Their lyrics are so honest and relatable that listening to this album almost feels like having a conversation over a drink with a few close friends (that are seriously fucked up).

Every lyric is a waste of air

When there’s nobody here because there’s nobody there

Your life is in some kind of mess

When you’ve got nothing to say and yet you’re out of breath

I write a song about them and they don’t wanna hear it

There is something about the truth that causes people to fear it

Kalberg, Francia and Dooley definitely do not have a problem talking about their feelings, which is good, because they have a lot of them, most of which involve anger or depression.  Lyrics aside, there are a number of standout musical qualities on Love Hard.

“It’s Your Time,” sung by Dan Francia (with Kalberg providing background vocals on the chorus) is definitely a nod to Rivers Cuomo circa 1996. The song is without a doubt the most earnest and optimistic song on the album.  Flagland’s rougher edges appear on “Unfinished Business,” a punk-tinged song with urgent drums and commanding guitar strumming. Weighing in at only :48 minutes, “Unfinished Business” is short but it isn’t sweet. Kalberg, Francia and Dooley manage to pack a great deal of rage into this song, making it feel like more of an emotional release than anything else.  “Yr GF” is the most straightforward punk song on the album, with a simple tune and two-part vocals built from melodic screams, making it snappy, sweet and infectious.  “Shitsucksrightnow” is brims with personality, beginning with  a catchy guitar riff and moving from section to section with seamless transitions, ending on a multifaceted instrumental break.

“Mosquito Bite” is one of the more complex compositions on Love Hard. It begins uneasy, giving the sense that it is building up to something, reaching its gripping destination about  a minute into the song.  At its pinnacle, the track is colored with guitar power chords, eerie lyrics and unpredictable melodies. It finishes with an instrumental swell and bend to showcase the instrumental aptitude of the trio.  Likewise, the drums, bass, and guitar on “Swingin” propel the song forward with frightening, almost unrefined intensity.

Flagland have definitively fine-tuned their distinct sound on Love Hard.  Kalberg, Francia and Dooley look back to their predecessors while infusing their personality, compositional artistry and lyrical dexterity, therefore solidifying their own unique space within the musical genres that they straddle. Vocals are often on point, guitar solos are compact and composition is refined, yet Flagland stays true to its garage band roots by valuing musical expression above accuracy.

Flagland at Muchmores

On Friday, January 10th, I had the pleasure of seeing Flagland perform live at Silent Barn. The lineup included Flagland, Porches, My Dad and Gunk.

Kerry Kalberg, Dan Francia and Nick Dooley casually set up their instruments on the dusty stage of this Bushwick DIY venue. They took their time setting everything up perfectly as the room slowly filled up with bearded men and tattooed girls. After a quick costume change (more like disrobing) Kalberg appeared in his stage uniform, nothing but his boxer briefs, and they were on their way.

The band played a relatively straightforward set, infusing it with some older material while mostly showcasing a number of songs from Love Hard.  At the end of “High School Love,” Kalberg ripped his glasses off before the gang embarked on their first (but not their last) great instrumental of the night.  He followed this with Love Hard standout “Swingin”. After the crowd settled down, Kalberg announced that he was going to play a song about My Little Pony, and broke into “I Need It,” from 2012’s Tireda Fighting.  Next came a string of songs from Love Hard: “Straight White Male,” “Unfinished Business,” “It’s Your Time” and “Comfortable Life.” They finished with a track from 2011 debut Danger Music/Party Music.

As always, Kalberg, Francia and Dooley put on a dynamic show that was rife with instrumental solos, intimate vocals, lighthearted banter and, of course, a whole lot of bare chest. Make sure to catch their next show, on January 26th at Shea Stadium.

 

TRACK REVIEW: “Comfortable Life”

Comfortable life for you, always a comfortable life for you. I used to think it was true, we all get as fucked over as I do. But now I know It don’t happen to you, ‘cause you get everything you want. But I like my way, struggle every day, that’s how I learned how to hunt.

Childhood friends Kerry Kalberg and Dan Francia began playing music together in High School. After meeting Nick Dooley at NYU, they formed Flagland. Kalberg (vocals and guitar), Francia (bass and vocals) and Dooley (drums) moved across the river to Brooklyn and have since released three albums, Danger Music/ Party Music, Tireda Fightin, and a split record with BIG UPS in 2013. Flagland will be releasing their next full-length album titled Love Hard, on February 25, 2014.

Self described as a band that plays “panic rock for the panicked,” Flagland’s repertoire floats through numerous genres, namely punk, grunge and 90s alternative. Part of their charm is their character. I had a chance to see them on 12/6 at Shea Stadium, where Kerry Kalberg stripped down to nothing other than his boxer briefs to play their entire set. Apparently that wasn’t a one-off, but rather something that he usually does during his shows.

“Comfortable Life” is the first single off of Love Hard. In three minutes, Kalberg, Francia and Dooley manage to drag the listener through a wide range of contrasting emotions. The track is initially colored with a simple, sugar-sweet melody and Kalberg’s soothing, yet understated vocals. By the second verse, the guitar picks up, and Francia and Dooley enter the mix on the drums, bass and xylophone. There is a diminuendo at the end of the second chorus, where Kalberg descends on each note until there is complete silence. Then the music explodes. Kalberg’s voice completely transforms, and what once was a bittersweet lament is now an impassioned emotional release. Kalberg, Francia and Dooley turn the volume all the way up on this verse and completely let go. With guitar feedback, vocal shouts and guitar power chords that starkly contrast the understated and restrained first half of the song, the second half of “Comfortable Life” is jarring and disconcerting, but in a good way.

The song’s garage band feel (pretty much the whole album was recorded in Dooley’s apartment) combined with its dynamism and emotional range makes “Comfortable Life” both genuine and raw.  If this is any indication of what is to come, expect rich dynamics, varied musical styles, and intense emotion to fill all twenty tracks of Love Hard. Listen to “Comfortable Life” Here:

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/123928873″ params=”color=ff6600&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]