Album review: FLIGHT BRIGADE – Chased By Wolves

July 7th, 2019 by jason

Rebel Cinema Records [Release date 13.09.19]

Labels are useful but can also be disingenuous, as is the case of the new album from “indie rock band” Flight Brigade. ‘Chased by Wolves’, the latest offering from the Hampshire-based seven-piece, creates a sonic landscape that cannot be easily categorised under one genre.

Enlisting the production skills of Chirs Porter, who has worked with everyone from David Bowie to Cliff Richard, ‘Wolves’ is an album of cinematic stories, that finds Flight Brigade quite happily dipping into whatever they care for in the sonic toolbox.

Opening track ‘Heartbreaker’ is a dark story about infidelity; with industrial drums and driving guitar, it favourably evokes a-ha and demonstrates a band unafraid to embrace catchy pop.

Continuing into the next track, ‘Chased by Wolves’ has a hooky chorus while still dealing with dark subject matter about fear. There are also some ethereal backing vocals blending seamlessly with lead singer Ollie Baines calling to mind synth group, Chromatics.

It is a testament to the arrangements that despite some quite melancholic territory the songs never become mawkish. Written after the funeral of a friend’s father, ‘Fury Road’ is about the speed at which life flies by and instead of being slow and contemplative is fast and celebratory, with thick guitar and heavy keyboards.

This approach continues on album centrepiece, ‘Brainwave’ about lead singer Ollie’s late brother’s experience with epilepsy; “For a minute there it was a touch and go, as a thousand volts rush from head-to-toe”.

The song builds to a cacophony of noise, presumably mirroring what it can be like experiencing the condition, but here again the lyric doesn’t revel in pain and eventually arrives at an optimistic place, “if you stay with me, it will be alright”.

‘Chased by Wolves’ evidences a band that is keen to embrace high concepts and weave stories throughout their songs. Occasionally this can be to their detriment, as on the slightly plodding ‘Alligators’, but as pop music can often be reduced to simple boy-meets-girl tales, Flight Brigade should be commended for thinking big and creating real narratives. ***½

Review by Phillip Beamon

Gig review

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions,

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 16 November 2025.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This 600th show was first broadcast on 18 November 2025

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen live or listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 1 December 2025

We feature all the artists selected in this sequence in 2025.

Featured Albums w/c 1 December 2025

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Singer Songwriter)

Our occasional Newsletter signposts latest additions to the website(s). We also include a selection of recent top albums, based on GRTR! reviewer ratings. The newsletter is sent out a few times a year.

If you’d like to register to receive this occasional mailing please complete the form:

If using a smartphone/tablet please tap here or re-orientate your device

(Note that this registration is separate from site registration which allows you to leave comments and receive daily emails about new content. If you wish to register for this – in addition or separately – please click or tap here – for more information – the form is at the foot of each page. Please read our privacy policy when opting-in to receive emails.