OLD HABITS takes TREETOP FLYERS back to British rock’s stylish 70s

TREETOP FLYERS

Old Habits (Loose)

Treetop Flyers, a regular on the burgeoning UK Americana music circuit, won Glastonbury’s Emerging Talent competition in 2011 for the band’s take on music from the Midwest to the West Coast of the USA. Interesting, then, that Old Habits, their fourth release, is the band’s deliberate attempt at recreating the sound of classic 70s British rock.

The opening Golden Hour riffs nicely on the Allman Brothers’ two-guitar writing, but the pervading reference on Old Habits is Van Morrison, with soul sax melodies sitting perfectly alongside the melodic soft rock sound.

There’s a lot to like about Old Habits, with stylish singing and playing throughout from Treetop Flyers. But the production is too deliberate and heavy-handed, making well-recorded tracks sound muddy and loose: fun songs like Cool Your Jets just come off as scrappy. Hopefully, these songs will get the good airing they deserve on the festival stages next year.

words JOHN-PAUL DAVIES