The Artists Formerly Known As The Colourful Fan have now expanded into a five piece band and now go by the name of Crimson Flight. Stephen Morris has been listening to their latest EP. Dan Harris and John de Gruyther always were a bit preoccupied with nature. Okay, they’ve never come up with lyrics about autumn being the “close bosom friend of the maturing sun”, but that’s probably only because Keats got there first. The Weather Forecast In their previous incarnation as The Colourful Fan, the duo had a predilection for songs about the weather and seasons with tracks like “Winter’s Calling Me” and “Green and Golden Sun” and lyrics declaring: “The sun is shining/but it’s outside/have you ever told the truth before?” With three extra band members and a name change, there is no difference to the long range forecast for their lyrical or musical output. It’s going to be heavy on the weather references and splashed with more than a lovin’ spoonful of swinging Sixties vibes. Oh, and will continue to be very good indeed. Lazing on a Sunny Afternoon Nature, the seasons and all things meteorological get covered on new E.P. “Who is Dr. Croc?“ with track titles like “Bitter Sun”, “Autumn Shades” and lyrics about Faustian pacts made down by the riverside. “Bitter Sun” opens with a Spanish guitar solo reminiscent of a Judith Chalmers-presented holiday programme exploring the delights of the Costa Del Sol. But this is soon superceded by mournful violins and vocals about making the most of your life before its too late - all shrouded in weather metaphors, of course: “Said the sun to me, I’ll refuse to shine if you’re gonna pass me by.” “Autumn Shades” sees the Crimson Flight lads doing their best Dylan (circa “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”) impersonation. Once again, the theme is making the most of your life. Once again there is a heavy weather metaphor: “Take that noose from around your neck: the storm clouds have just cleared”. Of Pigs and Devils When the weather references are less obvious, the lyrics become a little more complex. “White Gold” tells the story of The Devil being “drained of glee” because even he is depressed by the selfishness of man’s inhumanity to man. Elsewhere “Only Half the Time” gets even more obtuse. If anyone could explain the meaning of “Confucius, he was the king of the pigs/he keeps his thoughts in wearing tinfoil wigs”, please let me know. In the meantime, I’m completely with them on the next line of the song “Well you can’t even begin to understand him”. Grand Finale Final track, “The Beholder” is an epic tour de force with the fullest sound of the E.P., boasting strings and a “Penny Lane” style trumpet fanfaring over the top. The lyrics form a summary of all that has been before. It’s an optimistic song of triumph in the face of adversity, of learning from your mistakes and, of course, one final reference to the weather: “Now I know the sun is there to dry me.” When I met Harris and de Gruyther in their days of being The Colourful Fan they could have won an Olympic medal for synchronised cringing when I mentioned Ocean Colour Scene. Certain similarities were obvious: a musical nostalgia for the sixties being paramount. But if Simon Fowler ever need a voice double for an OCS track, he should have known where to go. Just What the Doctor Ordered For all the cringing, synchronised or otherwise, Crimson Flight still have something of an OCS sound to them, but there also hints of original sixties acts as well: The Mamas and Papas, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Beatles and The Beach Boys all come out to play during the course of the E.P. The question of “Who is Dr. Croc?” is left unanswered, although the CD’s artwork does give us a glimpse at his rather fabulous shoes. Not to worry, the EP is an aural delight no matter who the doctor is. Its the perfect sunny soundtrack with which to see out the last days of summer and look forward to the next one. | 
