Customer Reviews

Mighty Flashlight

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Miighty Flashlight is the solo project of Mike Fellows, former bassist for the seminal D.C. hardcore band Rites of Spring. As one of the members who didn't later go on to play in Fugazi, he has performed with Happy Go Licky, Bonnie Prince Billy, Air Miami, Smog, Royal Trux, and the Silver Jews. In 2000, he sat down with his guitar, bass, and Macintosh Powerbook and composed an album.

Released on Jade Tree in 2002, Miighty Flashlight's eponymous debut weaves elements of folk, country, and electronica into a subtly textured, flowing work. The album was recorded at home on Fellows' Powerbook, with Fellows playing guitar, bass, piano, and adding electronic effects. Sung like a half-drunk truck driver at open-mic night, Fellows' lyrics are perhaps as incoherent and avant-garde as anything out there: "on top of ballet skool," he sings, "don't let me be misdiagnosed," or, "the east coast is wrong and all my neighbors had to die." No discernable theme runs through the album, but despite the incoherency of the lyrics, the overall feeling is one of consistancy. Miighty Flaslight rambles through three completely ad-libbed instrumentals-"Go on. Die. It's Easy," "Fatherland Focus," and "Forget This Space"-and seven sparkling yet understated songs incorporating gently plucked acoustic guitars, tapping drum machines, plunking pianos, and even an electronic flute loop on "Ventilating Zephyrs." The first instrumental, "Go on. Die. It's Easy," and "Ballet Skool," on which Fellows is assisted by the extra guitar of George W. Fellows Jr., are easily the highlights of the album, but the whole meandering work is best experienced in order.

thyme ...

This record is really amazing - - it takes a great deal of talent and judgement to make a record as effortless (sounding) and timeless as this. I think this record will stand the test of time a great deal better than 99% of what is being released under the 'new weird america' banner - - not to say that this record should be considered part of that 'movement', but in some ways it sounds a lot like what that music should, or could be if the practitioners weren't so hung up on tired hippy-isms, and musical in jokes.
Brilliant acoustic/vocal driven music. Timeless.