Flyte are Winchester’s own indie-rock success story. Formed in 2013, the now-trio (Will Taylor, Jon Supran and Nick Hill) have gone from strength to strength with each remarkable release and their sophomore effort corroborates this. At face value, ‘This Is Really Going To Hurt’ is a quintessential breakup album. Ever-present in life and literature, heartbreak is an inevitable theme eventually approached by artists of all areas. While Flyte have previously gained traction through works taking a more vicarious approach, this album is a deeply personal exploration of heartbreak. Vocalist Will Taylor journeyed through the end of an eight-year relationship with all the turmoil you’d expect, but here has managed to carefully document the feelings involved in a delicate and dignified way. His mindful nature and a drive to share his cathartic writing allow this record to exude a matchless sensitivity in its lyricism.
‘Easy Tiger’ is both the opener of the album and a perfect example of such sensitivity. Bearing the album’s title dominantly in its lyrics, this track is the preparatory build to the rest of the album. The soft guitar melodies bring an air of comfort to the foreboding descent into a thoroughly varied and emotional collection of music. ‘Losing You’ swoops in next with a potent, raw form of storytelling. Encapsulating the nostalgia of new romance versus its demise; it’s simple but flawlessly compelling.
‘I’ve Got a Girl’ is a punchy gem which alongside being a fun listen, serves to gently accelerate the pace of the record (written following the departure of former-member Sam Berridge). Launching straight into its dramatic lyricism, no time is wasted in portraying the hurt and subtle distress that runs throughout. This track has an undeniable appeal with its moody composition; dramatic keys and thundery bass giving it an edge akin to early 2000s alt-rock, while slick production cements its modern feel. Flyte crafted the album with the skilled hands of producers Justin Raisen and Andrew Sarlo, and mixing engineer Ali Chant. A mellow, steady, building instrumental meets an initially minimal vocal decorated with Flyte’s classic creative harmony in ‘Under The Skin’. Taylor’s voice builds to hold subtle anguish as we reach the busy, almost chaotic climax of the track. This is met cohesively with thumping guitar, crashing percussion and whirring synths.
We’ve been fortunate enough to feast our ears on half of the tracks from ‘This Is Really Going To Hurt’ as singles already, but the as-yet-unheard tracks bring yet more depth to the album. The first of which is the simply exquisite ‘Everyone’s a Winner’ . Despite its subject matter, the record is never accusatory; just attentively observational and introspective to a refreshing degree. Littered with choral-like harmonies, ‘Trying To Break Your Heart’ feels as though it’s been freshly plucked from a coming-of-age movie where a sense of melancholy is drenched in summery, jolly instrumentation.
As the band told us in an interview back in the summer of 2020, “every song has a very distinct personality” which stands true as the smooth, shoegaze dream, ‘Love Is An Accident’ begins. We’re then launched into the rockier ‘There’s a Woman’. Here we find classic, janky guitar and darker tonality, intermitted with calmer moments that tease at a lingering sense of romance. The end of the song is heavy with brass and synth, and the continued harmonies we’ve come to expect and love from Flyte over the years.
‘Mistress America’ features echoey vocals set among sentimental acoustic guitar in a lively track. It has a definite sense of being hopeful and joyfully romantic, with a relevant mid-American feel. This begins to round ‘This Is Really Going To Hurt’ off quite nicely, though the real treat waiting at the album’s close is ‘Never Get To Heaven’. Sleepy, hazy and comforting, it conclusively signals the end of an arduous period of time experienced by Taylor.
With their second album, a new vulnerability in the band’s work is clear. While a breakup record, delving deeper unveils a tapestry of raw emotion, polished instrumentation and lyrical complexity. It almost feels invasive to listen to Taylor’s plight in this way, especially as we’re used to Flyte’s relatively impersonal previous works. Here, the lyricism is beautifully and brutally self-aware. To tackle personal experiences and adjust to working as a trio were Flyte’s latest challenges, and each member played their part to meet them with grace; creating some gorgeous music on the way.
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