Flip Top Head – ‘Up Like A Weather Balloon review: avant-garde art-rock packed with wry lyricism

6 days ago 7

While there are plenty of post-punk and orchestral art rock bands vying for attention, there is a searing originality that marks Flip Top Head apart. The six-piece group from Brighton showcase the full range of their influences on their debut EP ‘Up Like A Weather Balloon’, having already sold out shows in London and playing at The Great Escape. Flip Top Head’s sonic landscape is beguiling, transporting us through a landscape of jazz, classical music and avant-garde rock.

Opener ‘I Can’t Wait Until I’m Old’ is full of wry humour as vocalist Bowie Bartlett sings: “Fold up my shopping bags, fold them up and put them in my back pocket”. Her vocals recall the ethereal beauty of London Grammar’s Hannah Reid. The song begins with spoken word accompanied by horns, segueing into thundering riffs with the vocals evolving to match the guitars.

‘Weightlifter’ leans into the group’s jazz trappings sonically, with background horns throughout. Bertie Beer takes vocal duties on this track, which originates from a poem about a 12-hour bar shift where Beer served an ex-bodybuilder. Dealing with the pursuit of the ideal body at the expense of your identity (“I’ve lost my golden touch and after failing to fix my bike left the grease on my hand for days”), Bertie and Bowie’s vocals jostle for attention as it becomes more chaotic with their harmonies finding room to shine.

Meanwhile, ‘So Much For Mole Catching’ brings a cinematic feel to the EP, striking a sweet spot between its orchestral and rock influences. More baroque with its sense of scale and expansive soundscape than other tracks, it feels grandiose whilst retaining a sense of intimacy and maintaining Flip Top Head’s humour.

For a band just releasing their first EP, there is such a sense of ambition and expanse to Flip Top Head. Some of the stylistic shifts between the tracks suggest a risk of too many swings – but Flip Top Head knows when to shift things around, making this EP such a visceral listen. Though they’re still honing their voice, Flip Top Head has all the hallmarks of a truly unique sound.