High Flying Man is the third LP by Matt Berry’s pseudo-eponymous project The Berries. The album shows a progression in songwriting and song structure which results in The Berries’ best LP to date. The album is a very straightforward rock record which I really like.
Its songs have an average length of 4 minutes which follow a classic structure of verse — chorus — verse — chorus —bridge — chorus. Everything comes together with memorable lines, excellent guitar solos and tracks you will want to hear again. At times, The Berries have an Oasis vibe on several tracks like “Down That Road Again” and “Eagle Eye,” while also going down a path similar to Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, The War On Drugs and even Tom Petty.
High Flying Man has an edge lyrically when Berry examines the current state of the world we live in that highlights how isolating it can be or revealing more personal notes about self-sabotage or losing a friend to a mental health struggle in the title track. The mixing talents of Rob Schnapf (Elliott Smith, Beck, Guided by Voices) also makes a big difference on High Flying Man when you compare its crisp sound to The Berries previous albums. Every enhancement on this album represents a positive step forward as The Berries have created one of the more solid rock records of 2022.
Thomas Wilde
For more of Thomas Wilde’s music reviews, check out The Fire Note
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