REVIEW: The Flys, Holiday Man (Trauma)
- Joann D. Ball
You may have already heard The Flys but mistakenly credited their infectious new song, "Got You (Where I Want You)" to another band. "Got You (Where I Want You)," was one of the standout cuts on the soundtrack for the summer teen thriller flick "Disturbing Behavior." And yes, it does kinda sound like a lost Alice in Chains song when heard over the modern rock/alternative rock airwaves. But even though the vocal stylings and the slightly dark, moody groove sounds familiar, it's actually The Flys sneaking up on you.
Don't be so quick to brush off this Los Angeles-based quintet as a one-hit flavor of the month with a catchy tune. There's a helluva lot more than that happening on The Flys' debut CD Holiday Man . Like "Got You (Where I Want You)," "Afraid" is an edgy song which quickly gets under your skin and sticks in your head. But with this track, the band reaches deep into its own bag of musical treats and makes good on its promise to "make heavy rock music that is fresh, fun and danceable." The rise and fall of this eerie number, from a piercing guitar lead over a slow throbbing bass into an emotional outburst of vocals and drums, makes it the best tune on the record.
However, The Flys don't just creep along in the darkness, as cuts like the explosive "Give You My Car" and the title track embody the spirit of extreme sports by making full use of distortion, guitars, and a rock solid rhythm section. The Flys succeed in taking the best of grunge, metal, rock and hardcore rap and even throw in some funk for good measure. And the song "Holiday Man" is proof that it can and indeed does work. In fact, not since the Red Hot Chili Peppers picked up a megaphone and got on the rollercoaster of love has there been such a catchy booty shakin' number on a rock record.
A short but entertaining adventure, Holiday Man ends with a slick '70s styled, flirty number called "Sexual Sandwich." Ultimately, The Flys are a bunch of fellas who love music, women, surfing and extreme sports and wanna let you in on the fun. The band celebrates all of these passions on this active, energetic twelve song audio release, which also includes an enhanced CD-Rom portion containing interviews and live performances.
