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Flying Raccoon Suit

Moonflower

Written by: MAK on 05/12/2023 22:43:27

Flying the flagship for modern ska punk, or “New Tone” in recent years would be Bad Time Records, flaunting top-tier releases from the likes of Kill Lincoln, Joystick and Omnigone. One of the more underrated gems to come out of this label would be Flying Raccoon Suit. Only a couple of years ago, the Mississippi outfit fully grabbed the attention of the Ska Punk community with the release of their second album “Afterglow”, showcasing combined elements, of punk, skacore, third wave and even swing in some places. 2023 sees the release of “Moonflower”, with high expectations to see how well Flying Raccoon Suit can expand on their already rather experimental sound.

“Vidalia” eases us into the album with waltz-like rhythms topped off by crooned brass melodies. It’s a track that feels more at home in some kind of smoky jazz club than a punk venue. Jessica Jeansonne’s vocals ooze a wonderfully sultry tone, and for the most part, the tempo is steady before the beat and brass hooks ramp things up to get you dancing, setting us up perfectly for the high octane “Longshot”. We are met with a strong intro, big pulsing horns and frantic beats that are designed to unleash crowd chaos. The upstrokes ease things up and we have a pure gypsy ska-punk hybrid number, a vibe that feels more like if Gogol Bordello were more of a ska-band. It’s bouncy, it’s fun, the verses are chirpy and the chorus is incredibly catchy with a wonderful singalong hook. The vibrancy never relents, with occasional skacore influences of punchier riffs and harder-hitting horn sections. This is a pure tone-setter for the rest of the album.

Within the first handful of tracks, you get the gist of wider influences, “Swan Song” for one is nothing short of a cheerful ditty to get you swaying along, a pure third wave and reggae-influenced number, its Catbite and No Doubt with sexier horn hooks. “Eat The World” follows up with a cheesy horror show-inspired ska-punk hit, upping the angst but laced with a strong chanty chorus that’s all too easy to pick up on, you’ll be singing along in no time. Flying Raccoon Suit showcases how dynamic they can be with the likes of “Hurricane”, a track that starts sombre and moody, flittering between more downbeat emo-tinged segments with more uplifting third-wave pieces. It’s an interesting balance that works, the opposing dynamics making the other just shine harder.

The next few track continues the trend of moody sky punk that borders more towards skacore. “Take This With You” feels more like a sombre post-hardcore track, with elements of alternative rock for the most part. There’s no real ska influence until halfway through, and that’s only when powerful horns jump in, joined by punchy hard-hitting riffs and throat-tearing shouted vocals. “Witches Streak” acts as one of the more artistic pieces on the album, much like the opening track "Vidalia", it’s a lot slower and soulful, allowing Jess’ vocals to truly thrive until enchanting brass hooks prick your ears. The track flitters everywhere, from the calm and collective to the outright chaotic towards the end. Even featuring a segment you could only class as Jazzcore with the frantic brass elements and aggressive riffs.

“Long In the Tooth” follows as a skacore masterpiece blended with artsy gyspy punk. Within the opening two minutes, we are treated to a soft and plucky, but eerie intro, Jess’s cleans lulls us into a false sense of security before roaring vocals and a prog metal-inspired segment that fully evolves into thrashing grooves. The intro is like “Double Foxes” by Just Say Nay, but in no time the tone has dramatically shifted to something more resembling Redeemon. It's a full-on ska metal hit with the combination of riffs and horns. Angsty, but fun ska punk is what follows for the next few tracks, shorter blasts with three songs smashing your ears in just over four minutes, all vibrant, fuelled by big horn melodies and catchy choruses, but all designed to get you dancing and causing some kind of pit chaos.

“Dyad” closes the album in the most melodic fashion, dropping the ska completely, leaving the horns to add more of a soulful touch to a softer emo-type song, giving us one more chance to hear how beautiful Jess’s voice can really be. It’s not quite the big epic ending, but it adds welcome diversity to one of the most well-rounded albums I’ve heard all year.

For a ska-punk fan, this has everything to keep me on my toes, do I want punchy ska punk, heavy skacore, fun third wave? How about some quirky gyspy inspirations or even some post-hardcore and grunge which isn’t usually mixed with horns? “Moonflower” combines it all sublimely. “Afterglow” was impressively diverse but Flying Raccoon Suit still managed to smash expectations with this one.

Download: Long In The Tooth, Witch's Streak, Pinwheel
For the fans of: Streetlight Manifesto, The Best of The Worst, Joystick
Listen: Facebook

Release date 03.11.2023
Bad Time Records