This is the fifth album from the Fly My Pretties collective, coming off the back of their recent wide-ranging Homeland tour, and features all new songs, mostly from artists who are new to the FMP fold. Languid, warm, and intimate, it captures the small town spirit of the many townsthey visited.
The 11 tracks are all live recordings, and though they've been mixed (very tastefully by Lee Prebble), they all embrace that notion of imperfection - sure there's some exceptional playing to be heard, but there's also a definite sense of emotions thrumming in throats and a pleasing absence of anything that could sound like autotune.
Mel Parson's upbeat-yet-plaintive Far Away, is an early highlight, her husky voice a lovely contrast nestled among the men.
Wellington's Shaun Blackwell provides a great rock-along with Beggin' On My Knees (could it be this year's Bag of Money?), and Anika Moa fans will be pleased to hear a heartfelt new track from her - Cry. Ria Hall's more modern, soulful contributions, Where Did All My People Go, and One add a cool touch of skanking, though it's the second track from Five Mile Town's Louis McDonald, Headlights, with it's beautiful rich guitar melodies that really draws the ear.
Whether these tracks have the strength of some past FMP singles is hard to say, but together they make for perfect summer listening at the bach.
