Daphne’s Flight launched in 1995 and have just released their fifth album. Favourable Light is the second with the current line-up of Chris While, Julie Matthews, Helen Watson, Melanie Harrold and Miranda Sykes. Nine of the ten songs are originals, the tenth being a cover of ‘Don’t Wait Too Long’ (Madeline Peyroux).
“Mellifluous”, “honeyed” and “sumptuous” might be words to describe the album’s feel – world class singers, writers and musicians hitting that sweet spot where the fact that there are five of them adds to the harmonic feel of Favourable Light – in any shade of meaning of “harmony”.
The album opens with ‘Home Before You Know It’, an acoustic arrangement to Watson’s bluesy, soulful voice. ‘Walk Beside You’ follows. It’s a splendid example of how Daphne’s Flight defy genre – is it gospel? Well, no, but there again, it very definitely is – vocals are interspersed between the five as supportively as the content of the lyric “Never doubt where I will be/ I will walk beside you / You’ve always walked along with me”. Similarly, there’s an overwhelming feel that this is an a cappella track, but as you listen you notice instrumentation behind the tender vocals.
Immediately on the heels of ‘Walk Beside You’ is ‘Ballad of the Seven Sisters’, narratively very different – as good a murder ballad as any you’ve heard over the years, but with an equally lush and sophisticated sound on this extended tale of murder and revenge.
The middle of the album brings three thoughtful tracks. ‘Sailing Home’ is an extended image with a chorus “Reach for the other / For the harbour lights / When we reach for each other / Hearts will fly” and a delivery that pulls the heart as much that image does. ‘Manners’ is a reflection on a relationship. I assume ‘A Woman Called Gisele’ is inspired by Gisele Pelicot, “the warrior they could not fell” who has become “a beacon of strength and hope” for others. The song is powerful – simple piano and five female voices supporting, sustaining, reinforcing – and reinforcing not just each other but other women and, most obviously, the woman who “led the way for us / sacrificed for us / raised her voice for us”.
The album closes with tracks of glorious positivity, a positivity built on, not diminished by, life’s toughness. ‘It’s Never Too Late For Romance’ cheerfully reminds us that there is always the chance to love again with a chorus that is impossible not to sing along with. Similarly with ‘When You Think It’s All Over It’s Just Begun’, the title tells you the theme of this song and the shared angelic vocals support the lead narrative. The album closes with ‘The Promise’ and its reflection on life, “Give it all and you get it back girl”.
Favourable Light is a gem of an album. In both their writing and delivery, Daphne’s Flight have created one more album where you are left in awe of their ability to write songs of life and collectively to fashion songs so that even the most difficult of themes is musically treated richly; you are left with the sense of love and shared support by five impressive artists combining into something even better as a collective.
The tour this May (details on the website) which accompanies the album release will be the band’s Farewell Tour – so catch them while you can. It will no doubt, be a classy evening.
Mike Wistow
Artists’ website: https://www.daphnesflight.co.uk
‘Home Before You Know It’:
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