Flèche - 'Do Not Return Fire' Album Review

Tracklist:

1. Gold And Black

2. Better Or Worse

3. Wait, Sit, Listen

4. Not A Single Thing

5. New Sun

6. Pretend Forget

7. Long Before

8. Invincible

9. Weather Boxes

10. A Thousand Crashes

11. People & Empty Spaces

12. Overnight Overboard

Paris quartet Flèche have released their debut record, 'Do Not Return Fire' and it's 12 tracks of Indie, Pop Punk with a bit of bare toothed melodic goodness. And that's exactly what you get when 'Gold And Black' hooks you in as it establishes an uncontrollable tapping of the foot. The breakdown guitars take you on a solemn encounter but that chorus will shine through with its energy and rawness making it a real beauty to start the album. 'Better Or Worse' follows a same atmosphere as 'Wait, Sit, Listen', but they ooze appeal and wonderful crashing guitars. Theres a certain maturity to these tracks that involve you and push you off guard at times making them repeat listens. A Pop Indie track with a dark side is one way of describing the next song, 'A Thousand Crashes', it beautifully eats you from the inside as it does the business of mixing light and dark. 'Invincible', well it has powerhouse choruses and epic guitars mixed with a fragility to the vocals that has tastes of Idlewild brilliance. It's a simple Pop Rock belter that you will smile too and want to hear again. 'Not A Single Thing' shoots off melodic Pop rock bullets and doesn't stop. It's one of those songs you can just enjoy and has it all with the vibe and soft vocals meshing with the guitar progressions. Flèche released 'Long Before', from the album as a single and you can see why. For me it encapsulates the feel and where the band want to go. Its refreshing and reaches out. Get ready to sing back! 'New Sun' shows a rawness in the vocal with that always underlining angst, which leads into 'Weather Boxes'. A track that will keep you on your journey. Old school Rock influences run through this song and it works to keep you on the path of an emotional shift. Flèche are really honing their craft at this point in the album and that shift presents itself in 'Pretend Forget'. It has a heavier feel to it but still possesses that Pop Rock bounce. Especially like the end breakdown utilizing rich bass lines, fierce drums and delayed guitar riffage leading you into a sing it back moment. Finishing the album, 'People And Empty Spaces' brilliantly collaborates soft but raw when needed vocals. The chorus rips through you with an almost 90's Rock vibe. One of my favourite tracks, 'People And Empty Spaces' sits eerily uplifted on that flanger infused riff, which then leaves you with 'Overnight Overboard'. Encapsulating all that Flèche are trying to present, the song is a fine anthemic end to their story leaving you fulfilled. A fine listen and genuinely enjoyable record, 'Do Not Return Fire' is engaging and not far off being a hidden gem.