Formed in 2006, and including members past and present of Soilwork, Arch Enemy and Spiritual Beggars, are The Night Flight Orchestra. Despite their heavy origins they are anything but, this Swedish sextet are enamoured with the sounds of the late 70’s and early 80s – so expect big riffs, huge choruses, corny lyrics and artery-clogging amounts of cheese.
Their fourth album Sometimes The World Ain’t Enough continues where last year’s much loved Amber Galactic (both on Nuclear Blast) left off, namely a procession of insane catchy rockers, ballads and disco numbers airlifted straight from the pages of Foreigner and Toto. Moments like ‘This Time’ really grab your attention, yes they may lay it on thick but, by Jove, when it is this catchy you just do not care. When it comes to crafting slices of The Cars like power pop there is few like them, ‘Speedwagon’ showcases this in truly emphatic style. The best track of this ilk is ‘Can’t be That Bad’, you should probably feel guilty for liking it but that is impossible with a melody this undeniable.
It is not all fist-pumping Album Orientated Rock (AOR) and power pop, the now obligatory disco numbers pop up – the main culprits being ‘Paralyzed’ and ‘Pretty Thing Closing In’. These moments are not essential and can be skipped, but be warned that will not stop them burrowing their way your head never to leave. As well as Disco the archetypal eighties power ballad is also ticked off the list, in the form of the aptly titled ‘Moments of Thunder’ and ‘Lovers in the Rain’. Despite my usual disdain for the inane and saccharine world of such ballads, they have grown on me with their hilarious levels of pomp and melodrama.
Like their previous records, they end proceedings with some Prog, ‘The Last of the Independent Romantics’ is a genuine slice of Asia like pomp and urgency. This bold finishing touch typifies the album, demonstrating that whilst not for the faint of heart or hater of cheese, Sometimes The World Ain’t Enough is an insanely catchy album with hooks enough for everyone.
7.5/10
THOMAS THROWER