The album's first three songs are all outstanding. They are all packed full of vocal hooks, melodic keyboard lines, and smooth guitar interplay from Andersson and Sebastian Forslund. Aeromantic is a bit of a top-heavy album, in that most of the real standout tracks come during the album's first half - but it is perhaps the opening three that are the real cream of the crop. The atmospheric, driving rocker Servants of the Air kicks things off in style with some fuzzy radio transmissions and pulsing synths before drummer Jonas Källsbäck introduces a marching drum beat which soon gives way to a fast-paced guitar rhythm. Keyboard duties on the album are shared between regular keyboardist Richard Larsson and guest player John Lönnmyr - and it is the latter who's flashy synth runs and pompus keyboard stabs really hold this track together. The Night Flight Orchestra are not truly a hard rock act, but there is something of a toughness to their material, with this song being at the heavier end of their sound - with double bass drum patterns keeping the verses moving along, while an epic, cinematic chorus brings the best out of Strid as a singer. In many ways, and despite its heavier overtones, the song is a good introduction to the band's overall sound. It has all of the band's hallmarks present, including a great old-school keyboard solo, while still containing a bit of heft to draw those in who are approaching the band from the Soilwork fanbase. Divinyls, a solo Strid composition, is lighter - but as a result the hooks are much poppier and extremely catchy. Larsson's simple keyboard riff provides the main musical motif early on, but the verses are quite sparse with a simple pulsing rhythm which really pushes Strid's voice to the fore. Soilwork fans have long known of Strid's vocal talents, but his clean vocals have really improved in recent years. He never uses his harsh vocals with The Night Flight Orchestra, and he shows that he is a great rock frontman as well as a metal one. The song's chorus is one of the album's most immediate earworms, and it makes great use of the main keyboard riff which Strid doubles with his vocal melodies - while Anna Brygård and Anna-Mia Bonde contribute sugary harmonies. If Tonight is Our Only Chance is much more pompous, with an Asia-esque opening keyboard melody giving way to another low-key verse that is based around some simple bass playing from Sharlee D'Angelo. When AOR songs have low-key verses however, you just know that they are going to explode into a massive chorus and that is just what this song does! It recalls Toto at their most bombastic (think Goodbye Eleanor), with driving keyboard stabs and tough guitar rhythms. There is nothing particularly complicated about the song, but the melodies and overall atmosphere just nail the style and era the band are evoking perfectly. This Boy's Last Summer sees a little bit of a drop in quality compared to the opening songs, but it is still a strong track that ups the pace and is focused more around rhythms than melodies. The keyboards take a bit more of a backseat here, with the drums and guitars bulking out the verses somewhat while Strid lays down a husky vocal. The chorus is still strong, and is likely to remain stuck somewhere in the brain, but it does not quite match up to the opening three efforts - with more of standard Survivor-esque AOR approach rather than the more refined sound the band usually go for. It still works well however, and the song remains a fun listen.
Curves is song that is up there with the quality of the opening handful, and is based around a jazzy piano riff from Lönnmyr that sounds like it was gifted to the band from Toto's David Paich. It has Paich's knack for both rhythm and melody - with the whole song hanging off the groove that it creates. This is a pure yacht rock anthem, and possess all the qualities of those great melodic Steely Dan tracks from their early handful of albums. Great yacht rock needs groove, and this song has it in spades. It is mainly derived from the piano, but both Källsbäck and D'Angelo contribute to it with contrasting melodies and patterns that further enhance what the piano is creating. This groove mixed with an anthemic and stadium-worthy chorus is a winning combination, with Strid once again delivering the perfect vocal to fit the mood of the song - this time taking a bit of a harder rock approach which contrasts well with the jazzy grooves and thin-sounding guitar solo that comes towards the end. Transmissions has a bit of a disco feel to it, with a pulsing 1970s floor-filling beat and a great cinematic keyboard backing. This is a song that has grown on me a lot over repeated listens, as at first the hooks just did not really jump out at me. Now, however, I really love the song as the subtle grooves and Strid's commanding vocals make it an irresistible listen. The chorus is another winner, with lots of powerful vocal harmonies, while Larsson's keyboards swirl around and create a halo around the whole band - before some violin from Rachel Hall ensures the song takes a surprising turn towards the end. The disco vibes of the piece help it to stand out too, and it is another strong offering on an album that contains lots of enjoyable songs. The album's title track is more overtly rock, with a driving drum pattern and a pompous keyboard-led riff that is packed full of energy. While the track is firmly in the 'mid-paced' category, there is a certainly kinetic energy about it that is different from many of the other songs here. There is a certain classic rock strut to be found here, but with all the classic Night Flight Orchestra tropes still on display. Strid's vocal display is a bit grittier here, with the backing singers providing soft harmonies and additional vocal lines, although he returns to his smoother delivery for the high-octane and soaring chorus - which, again, is filled with excellent keyboard melodies. Golden Swansdown is a smoother, slower piece with pulsing synths setting the tone early on while the backing singers add wordless vocal melodies in time with the keyboards. While not exactly a true ballad, the song has many of the hallmarks of one - with a more downbeat overall delivery and an earnest-sounding chorus with walls of harmony vocals and keyboards. Given the song's more downbeat nature, it acts as a real vocal showcase for Strid. Those who were listening to Soilwork's Bastard Chain and Like the Average Stalker nearly twenty years ago probably never imagined that they would ever hear Strid sing a song like this, but I am glad that he has managed to showcase his love of AOR to the world while still keeping Soilwork a vital and exciting band - it is the perfect 'best of both worlds' situation.
Taurus, with songwriting contributions from Forslund, is a bit pacier with a high-energy drum beat and some excellent bass playing from D'Angelo. It is a really fun song to listen to, but it lacks some of the really strong melodies that are found elsewhere. The chorus does not quite hit the spot in the way that many of the others do, but the energy that the song creates makes up for this. It is a little bit of a shame that the chorus is just missing that spark, otherwise I think this song could have been up there with the album's opening trilogy. All the rest of the ingredients are here, with the added relative frantic feeling caused by the song's pace. It segues nicely into Carmencita Seven however, which is quite similar with the energetic pace maintained and the additions of driving keyboard riffs from Lönnmyr. While I still like Taurus, I think that this song has the spark that the former is missing. The chorus here is another winner, with the pace slowing down somewhat during it - which allows Strid's vocals to really take centre stage while he belts out the melodies. There is also a fairly rare guitar solo, presumably from Andersson, during the song. The Night Flight Orchestra's songs do not contain solos too often, instead preferring to focus more on big hooks and melodies, but the more overt 'rock' feeling of this song merits having a guitar solo included. It is a nice change of pace, and allows for an outburst of virtuosity rather than being constrained by the melodies and grooves. Sister Mercurial gets back to the band's core sound however, with Larsson driving things with a massive keyboard riff while Källsbäck adds a staccato drum pattern. The low-key verses of many of the other songs return here, with some light, jazzy guitar playing backing up Strid's vocals; before a grander chorus kicks in with more smooth vocals and dancing keyboards. I am not sure if Larsson has left the band, which may be why he is only credited as a guest performer on the album, but his playing really elevates this track. The song is essentially built around his melodies, which are irresistible and catchy, but a screaming guitar solo comes in towards the end of the piece to add some harder rock vibes in amongst all of the AOR pomp. The album's final song, Dead of Winter, is another Forslund co-write so it is somewhat similar to Taurus - but this time with a big chorus to match. It is a song very much from the pomp end of AOR, with grand keyboards filling pretty much every gap in the song - while the guitars add a satisfying crunch when required. There is another strong groove to be found during the verses, again courtesy of D'Angelo's playing, but it is the chorus that is the best moment here with suitably-big melodies pouring out of the speakers thanks to Strid and the walls of keyboards. It is a very catchy song that brings many of the band's core sounds together as one, and therefore acts as a perfect album closer - with a bit of energy present also to stop the album fizzling out. Overall, Aeromantic is another really enjoyable album from The Night Flight Orchestra that further hones their brand of melodic rock and enshrines them as one of the premier modern exponents of the style. I will now need to go back and pick up all of the band's previous albums that I do not own, as I imagine there are plenty of other songs for me to discover within those no doubt excellent records.
The album was released on 28th February 2020 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Divinyls.
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