Firstly let me apologise to the readers (and editor) for the late arrival of this review. It isn’t due to me receiving my CD late as I was one of the lucky people to have pre-ordered Fight Or Flight through the bands Kickstarter campaign, so my copy hit the doormat back in July. The simple truth is that following my glowing review of the bands first album, Life’s Machine back in May of 2022, I found myself with the same dilemma as I did back then. How do I do a truly critical review of an album this good. However after experiencing “The Rival” at the opening night of the Fight Or Flight tour at The Haven Club (great venue… you should check it out) in Oxford, I felt it was only right that I put my “fanboy” to one side and take to my keyboard to share my thoughts once more. As stated in my previous review, I first came across Brave Rival back in 2018 when they supported the Billy Walton Band at the same venue that they have just headlined and as I commented then “it was obvious that there was something a little special about this Portsmouth blues rock outfit”. That statement still stands.
Fight Or Flight takes the same formula which was so successfully used on Life’s Machine, taking real life experience to form heart on your sleeve lyrics and injecting those emotions into twelve genre busting slices of rock ‘n’ roll. Starting the ball rolling ‘Bad Choices’ is not only the latest single from the band but is also a statement of intent as Ed ‘The Shreds’ Clarke’s guitar riff throbs its way into your head before the rhythm power house that is Donna Peters (drums) and Billy ‘Danger’ Dedman (bass) hit you between the eyes. Ably assisted by a choir of crowd funders the now characteristic dual vocals from Chloe Josephine and Lindsey Bonnick build and build to a crescendo that would blow any normal person’s socks off and I must admit that even mine were a little looser by the end. There is no hold up as we go straight into ‘Seventeen’ which as with the opening track, once again reflects on the decisions made but this time in those formative teenage years. The multi-talented Peters thrashes her way through ‘Seventeen’ but always manages to keep total control, is there really a better drummer on the circuit at this moment in time? Although introduced by Clarke’s funky guitar lick, ‘Stand Up’ also throws the talented Will Wilde into the mix and as his harmonica twists between the lyrics it almost adds a third voice to the harmonies on this future crowd pleaser and rousing call to arms. ‘Insane’ may bring the pace down but it cranks up the emotion as Josephine digs deep into her soul to relive more fragile times. Anyone who witnessed her impassioned rendition at the Bullingdon in Oxford will know exactly what this song means to the singer. Second single, the quirky ‘Fairytale’ may leave a little more to the listeners imagination but leaves little else on the table. If there is only one earworm on this album (which there is not) this is it. “Down we go, falling deeper, sliding down this rabbit hole”. Despite being called ‘Heavy’, the previous single is musically far from it, however that doesn’t mean that it isn’t powerful. Clarke lives up to his “The Shred” nickname as his soloing punctuates the “throw everything at it” production on a power ballad to rival Bon Jovi at their best. As if that wasn’t enough emotion ‘All I Can Think About’ brings you down one more level and the interplay between the two vocalist is never more striking or intense. After all of that soul searching it is time for celebration and looking to the future and that is exactly what you get from first single from the album ‘Five Years On’ as it says “I told you so” to the doubters. Already a live favourite, I look forward to hearing this anthem at a show in another “five years”. ‘Unravelling’ is huge in every way and proves that the bands crossover potential is massive. With every element in perfect synchronisation, this is three and a half minutes of Brave Rival at their hookiest. Dedman steps up to introduce ‘Sink Or Swim’ with rolling bass before it takes full flight. Floating in places, crashing in others despite its diminutive length ‘Sink Or Swim’ has all the elements of a modern progressive classic. If you want epic then they don’t come any more epic than ‘Blame The Voices’. Big vocals, big guitars, big percussion and even bigger strings. ‘Blame The Voices’ comes in more like a Faith No More track than a humble blues/rock quintet, the only word to use is symphonic. A track like this poses a question, and that question is where do you go from there and the only answer is ‘Stars Upon My Scars’. Showcasing the best of each member the final track is the essence of Brave Rival as brothers and sisters united and coming in at just under seven minutes ‘Stars Upon My Scars’ has more twists and turns than most groups could display on a whole albums. “Brake the mould” they certainly did when they made Brave Rival.
Finally mention must also be made of singer and all round talent Alice Armstrong who put together the stunning tarot card artwork which adorns Fight Or Flight, as well as contributing towards the bands current range of tour merchandise. Brave Rival have been welcomed by the blues movement with open arms, even forming their very own “Bravian” community, but you only have to listen to any one of these tracks to see that there is so much more to them than that one classification can encompass. The confusing thing for me is that following the release of Life’s Machine my thoughts were “how are they going to follow that?”, but over the proceeding years they have grown through constant touring and because of that they have become a better band and even more importantly they have each grown and improved individually. So, know I find myself asking the same question. This time however Fight Or Flight has supplied the answer. Fight!
The Fight Or Flight tour roles across the country for the remainder of the year with the “official” album launch at Dingwalls in Camden on the 12th September. Be sure to catch them if you can because as I stated in 2022 “it’s always good to catch a band on the way up” and Brave Rival are still rising.
- Reviewed By Peter Brockwell.
- Fight Of Flight is Self-Released on 16th August 2024.
- Official Website
- Patreon
- YouTube Channel
Track List:
1. Bad Choices
2. Seventeen
3. Stand Up
4. Insane
5. Fairytale
6. Heavy
7. All I Can Think About
8. Five Years On
9. Unravelling
10. Sink Or Swim
11. Blame The Voices
12. Stars Upon My Scars
