FLICKERING LIGHTS

This Cologne-based quartet formed out of a high school band, 'It's Us', who released an album in 2006 called "... and a laughing white monkey will greet you as you pass the gates of slumberland ..." (honest). Deciding they need a name and direction change they looked to The Beatles for inspiration and became Mrs. Kite. They released 'A Closer Inspection' in 2013 and are now back with their second (or third album, whichever way you look at it), 'Flickering Lights'. For some reason this is listed all over the web as being a 2019 release, but I can ensure you the booklet clearly states 2020 and the press release states a January 2020 release, so I am guessing something changed at some point. For this release, the band comprised Florian Schuch (keyboards, lead vocals), his brother Ferdinand (guitars, backing vocals), Lukas Preuber (bass) and Philipp Verenkotte (drums) along with guitarist Christoph Jager who provided additional guitar on four songs.

Apparently, these guys are well known in their native Germany, winning the (Deutscher Rock und Pop Preis) for "best progressive band" three times, but this is the first time I have come across them. The most obvious point of reference is Porcupine Tree (Preuber provides some wonderfully delicate fretless bass which makes one immediately think of Colin Edwin), yet the keyboards are somehow more dominant, with electric piano being an important part of the equation. Given that guitarist Ferdinand provides all the music this is somewhat surprising in some ways, but when he wants to be aggressive, he can certainly turn it up, but really understands the need for dynamics, light and shade. There are a great many tonal colours within the band, so while countrymates RPWL could be seen to be an influence, Riverside and even Dream Theater have their part to play as well. The band are as happy playing jagged syncopation as they are being melodic, often providing multiple harmonies and different approaches. One is never sure where the music is going to lead, sometimes harmonious and others not so.

Overall, the production is very good, although there are times when the snare drum could have been a little lower in the mix. It is on the longest song, "The Old Man" (11:33), where the band really come to the fore. That length allows them to go all over the map, moving from mathcore to delicacy, frenetic riffing to no guitar at all, even bringing in lounge jazz at some point. The result is an album which is interesting, and which takes the listener on a journey. That trip may not always have a clear destination in view but is certainly worthwhile.

Review #2

Love at first sight.

Today I would like to introduce a very special band. Until recently I didn't know them myself. But I am very grateful to have discovered them, because what happens musically on their latest album "Flickering Lights" definitely belongs to the top league of this genre.

Several features of the music could already convince me immediately at the first listen. We are dealing here with four talented and accomplished musicians who manage to create an arc of tension around their songs for more than an hour that won't let you go. One of their strengths is the vocal harmonies, which appear again and again in the songs and enrich them in such a way that you would like to rewind the song to hear these parts again. The sound is reminiscent of Steven Wilson / Porcupine Tree, but without copying it, but developing its own style from it. Through the flawless production, each instrument gets a fixed place in the overall mix - and the music never seems overloaded. Especially the clean guitar work of Ferdinand Schuch can inspire in the tendentially guitar-oriented pieces by tastefully switching between a metallic and heavy sound, as well as almost Pink Floyd-like passages.

The listener is offered a lot of dynamics and tension. But above all, the listener is offered a journey through the various facets of modern prog, which is what makes this album so worth listening to in my view. Mrs. Kite is my recommendation today to all fans of modern prog music, fans of the progressive phase of Steven Wilson's music and to all people who are looking for new, unfortunately much too unknown music - you won't regret it!