Aero Flynn – Aero Flynn
4/5
Based out of the small college town of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Josh Scott (a.k.a. Aero Flynn) has recently brought himself back into the music world with his self-titled and debut solo album. After being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and depression, Scott took to isolation for some time. Within the past year, however, a resurgence of creativity and motivation hit and with a little help from some famous friends (Justin Vernon for example, who produced the album), he is back on track with a powerful, emotional and haunting collection of eerie Thom Yorke-inspired folk rock.
Mixing together acoustic melodies with electronic rhythms and textures, Scott’s whispering and delicate vocals sit comfortable on top. The resemblance to Radiohead/Thom Yorke and/or Wilco is both uncanny and admirable; however, amongst the similarities, Aero Flynn displays their own unique style as he dives into frontman Josh Scott’s personal experiences and emotions on each song.
Constantly crossing between elements of folk rock and the sporadic experimentation of electronic textures, Aero Flynn opens with the hypnotic track “Plates2”, beginning with calmly plucked triplets on an acoustic guitar, eventually leading into a layer of its electric version.
The album plays through almost seamlessly with the songs showing a high level of consistency within the compositions. Transitioning into the second track, “Twist” maintains the lush, yet quiet characteristics of “Plates2”, but brings a more experimental personality with deep drum pulses and effect-filled guitar harmonies. Later tracks, such as “Crisp”, “Maker” and “Brand New” are formed in similar fashion, with the layering of acoustic instruments and hypnotic drum patterns with Scott’s vocals – the only highlighting differences coming through during their respective, explosive conclusions.
“Dk/Pi” injects a pulse into the album with sci-fi-esque beeps and a tight rock drum beat that come together for a melodic chorus. The sonic textures that held throughout the song gradually swell into a climax of distortion and chaos.
Thom Yorke’s influence brightly shines through on “Tree”, as distortion and warping effects take over the track that is a mash of groove, rhythm and intensity. Matching in passion and musicality and clocking in at exactly seven minutes, “Floating” pushes the album’s boundaries one step further with a strong experimental style.
Simultaneously relaxing and engaging, Aero Flynn is beautifully composed, boasting the best of alternative indie folk rock, all the while challenging the expectations of the genre. Take a listen to the full album via The Current.
