5 out of 5

Label: Quarterstick

Produced by: Jim Marrer (engineered and mixed)

Man, what a debut.  While Flightsafety is lacking some of the discordance that grabbed ears on Dyed in the Wool, you can absolutely already hear the bravery and creativity of these constructions, and elements of the surprising tonal combinations Wright would employ later on.  Perhaps easily tossed into acoustic chick-pop until the dark, contemplative lyrics start to creep into your consciousness or a shambling drum beat bumps it out of peaceful plucking, Flightsafety is well-represented by its moody dusk-shot cover; the album title suggesting an awareness, of not fluttering beyond limitations – a theme explored in the lyrics, thankfully provided.

Opener ‘Floor Pile’ is, perhaps, your traditional indie songstress track, guitars and strings giving way to a drumbeat for the song’s final verse, but the wandering keyboard intro of followup ‘All These Things’ and Shannon’s strong vocalizations indicate this shan’t be an experience in cautious and pretty tunes.  Even on the quiet, key-laden Twilight Hall, Wright’s singing is so reverbed and distant that it adds a wonderfully haunting level to a tune that otherwise sounds like it intends to be lovely.

The album proceeds at a balanced pace throughout, wending through thoughtfully composed and produced tracks that make their statement and then move on, culminating in the penultimate awesomeness of guitar strummery on Yard Grass before the – I’ll use it again – appropriately haunting closer ‘Heavy Crown.’

Wright has put out a varying body of work by now, of course, but if you were listening when she was getting the most press – Dyed in the Wool era – you might be surprised by how calm Flightsafety seems at first listen.  Also by how awesomely realized it is, and indicative of all the skills Wright would continue to hone in the following years.