Flamingods are a four piece band formed in 2010 by lead singer Kamal Rasool – they have had an interesting history given that Rasool was forced to leave the UK just about the time of their debut album release – due to new visa laws introduced by the UK government which included Bahrain natives. This meant they lost a lot of momentum as he settled in Dubai after his exile. It was 2016 before he was allowed to return to the UK but the band were working on new material the whole time.
The band consists of Rasool, plus Sam Rowe, Charles Prest and Kathik Poduval and they sit in the category of psychedelia, with a hint of indie dropped in for good measure. They describe themselves as “Exotic Psychedelia” as they use a number of instruments from the Middle East and Asia. They also use more traditional instruments such as guitars, drums and synthesisers to form a sound that makes them stand out from the crowd – almost feeling experimental.
Their latest single release is “Olympia” which comes from the most recent album release “Levitation”. It isn’t a typical Flamingods sound, it is almost glam-rock with the synthesiser and organ which is very dominant on the track. It is fast paced the song is over before you realise, which considering this is a three and a half minutes long is very much a compliment. The melody could have easily come from the 1970s, almost Beatles-esque but there is more of a complexity to this song as Rasool’s vocal makes this feel very current.
Having been signed with Moshi Moshi Records since 2017, the very credible indie label, this should be a platform for Flamingods to move from strength to strength. The fact that the band are now working together in the same country will also significantly help their progression. The band remind me of Talking Heads or perhaps Foals – both of whom had an appreciation of the Eastern music. Given just how much diversity exists in the world today, compared to previous decades then I can see a whole new market for bands such as Flamingods. The band are playing a number of festivals throughout the summer months and hopefully this will result in a tour that brings them close to the north of England soon after.
Reviewer - John Fish
on - 5/7/19
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