More about: The Pro-Teens
Simply a lot of fun
The last decade or so has witnessed something of a renaissance in Australian music; if the likes of Tame Impala and King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard have achieved a world-conquering level of popularity (mainstream, in the case of the former, cult, in the case of the latter) then a wide assortment of other acts have proven that the country now boasts one of the richest wells of creativity in the world.
It's perhaps unsurprising therefore, that one of the most unusual albums to have pushed its way through our speakers in quite some time should hail from those Antipodean climes. I Flip My Life Every Time I Fly, the latest long-player from instrumental funkateers The Pro-Teens arrives courtesy of the UK's Mr Bongo a year on from its limited Australia-exclusive first pressing.
Widely available now, The Pro-Teens' infectious grooves and charming idiosyncrasies —offered in service of their preferred mishmash of record collector friendly genres — is likely to reach a wider audience now than ever before. And a good thing too as I Flip My Life Every Time I Fly is, more than anything else, simply a lot of fun. It's funky, it's accessible and, best of all, though it does have its auditory reference points (fans of BadBadNotGood and Khruangbin are likely to find this a rewarding listen) it doesn't lean on its influences as though they were a crutch. Indeed, I Flip My Life Every Time I Fly actually has an atmosphere entirely its own, a commendable trait in a field where derivation is too-often worn as a badge of honour.
Issued by Mr Bongo both as a standard black vinyl edition and in a limited run of orange wax, the version we're looking at here is the former but, as always in such cases, we suspect that comments on one would be applicable to the other. As it is, the black vinyl edition has been manufactured by Optimal Media and, in-keeping with their generally solid track record in recent years, this is an excellent pressing bearing only a few of the slightest and most infrequently audible flaws.
The record itself is roughly midweight and it feels sturdy in-hand, with tidy surfaces free of the scuffing which can too often appear on records sleeved in the type of generic, non-polylined paper inner included with this release. Speaking of sleeves, the cover here is striking boasting, as it does, light-hearted and eye-catching artwork which comfortably reflects the playful mood of the music itself. The cardstock used to produce the cover is of standard quality; it feels fine in hand but, by extension, is by no means above-average in terms of construction.
An immediately enjoyable collection of dynamic, funky compositions, I Flip My Life Every Time I Fly comes recommended to those with an appreciation of Australia's booming contemporary jazz-funk scene.
More about: The Pro-Teens
Photo: Press
