Concrete Disco’s As The Crow Flies is the sound of a band trying to capture the raw charge of their live shows and channel it into a record without losing the chaos that makes them tick. They’ve been grafting on festival stages and support slots for years, building a reputation on sweat-drenched breakbeats and big, hooky moments. This album has plenty of those flashes, but it also shows where the translation from stage to studio still needs work.
Opening track Reaching Up comes out swinging with euphoric synths and restless percussion, clearly aiming for that hands-in-the-air festival opener. It works. Brambles (Darqwud mix) is a stronger statement, pulling things into darker territory, heavy with atmosphere and bass weight, and it’s here that Concrete Disco feel most convincing.
The middle of the record is where their split personality shows. Jitters bristles with nervous, skittering energy, while Bored Of Borders is heavy on the trumpet, a nice twist. Pay For Your Winnings and Go Rockets are far stronger – these tracks bounce with a freedom and fun that matches the reputation of their live shows, beats snapping with intent and a sense that the band are enjoying themselves.
Not every track hits that mark. Running feels a tad busy with a strict drum and bass beat and Gonna End In Tears goes too heavy on melodrama, where restraint might have made it more powerful. Thankfully, the late run lifts things again. Motherland drives forward with urgency and a sharper edge, while Island State of Mind glows with a hazy, festival-field warmth.
The real standout moment is the two-parter Chain Me Up. Part 1 builds tension with subtle textures before Part 2 unleashes the full breakbeat chaos – it’s the clearest evidence that Concrete Disco can shape dynamics and drama rather than just pile noise on noise. Final track Rebirth (club edit) featuring Jemerine Chan and Ty Lowe closes things with a proper peak-time punch, a reminder of why their name gets mentioned whenever Bristol’s underground is discussed.
As The Crow Flies is a solid step forward for Concrete Disco. It’s too long but It’s packed with energy and ideas, not all of them land cleanly, BUT, They’re starting to carve out something that could really catch on.
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