The White Kites: Missing

New psychedelic contenders take Pole position.

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There’s been a mini flurry of nu-neo-psych in the Prog postbag lately. Blighty-based acts such as Soft Hearted Scientists, Vienna Circle, Schnauser and Hidden Masters are carrying on a fine tradition of quirk, strangeness and charm, as others such as Goat, The Black Angels, Jacco Gardner and Tame Impala take it across the globe.

So how about something from Poland in this vein, something that’s not of typical metallic magnificence? Cue Warsaw septet The White Kites, led by ex-pat Sean Pom Palmer. Sung in English, much of their material achieves an easy, swinging ’68 familiarity.

Take Stowaway Sylvie, with its Britpop jauntiness, or perhaps the Tull-esque baroque mischief of Should You Wait For Me. Other songs on Missing evoke The Nice, Robyn Hitchcock and Dukes Of Stratosfear, but at times the melodic focus is lost on long-form narratives, as is this listener’s attention span.

If this album had been about four songs shorter and punctuated with preceding single Love Doctor and its excellent flip Evening Walk, we’d really be off to a flyer. Nonetheless, their fastidious musicality and intriguing tunes make this a striking and ambitious starting point.

Jo Kendall

Jo is a journalist, podcaster, event host and music industry lecturer who joined Kerrang! in 1999 and then the dark side – Prog – a decade later as Deputy Editor. Jo's had tea with Robert Fripp, touched Ian Anderson's favourite flute (!) and asked Suzi Quatro what one wears under a leather catsuit. Jo is now Associate Editor of Prog, and a regular contributor to Classic Rock. She continues to spread the experimental and psychedelic music-based word amid unsuspecting students at BIMM Institute London and can be occasionally heard polluting the BBC Radio airwaves as a pop and rock pundit. Steven Wilson still owes her £3, which he borrowed to pay for parking before a King Crimson show in Aylesbury.