This reissue of Fire Flight’s »Exit« doesn’t come straight out of Compton but from beautiful Barbados. Freshly landed by Kevin Griffith, head of the Australian label Isle Of Jura, this catch of the day is still zapping around like crazy. Long celebrated almost mythically, the few LPs out of the Caribbean still available were worth their weight in gold. Yet everything begins quite calmly here: over the first few metres »Heartbreak City« sounds like Axel F. – with that very concise bass synth – but then morphs into a 2nd wave soul number. »Best Shot« is even more unique: Calypso plays a straight eighties pop B-side like it could have come from The Revolution. In between, you really do think you can hear Prince pulling the strings behind the scenes. Which is pure nonsense, of course: Carl Beaver Henderson and Francis Escayg were the brains behind Fir Flight. The latter can be heard on the off-beat number »Hard Life«. The hit is nevertheless »Wantin U«, at least if you believe the brains. The arguments are good: boogie with freaky synths, light off-kilter vocals, a stoned line in the chorus. Finished is the party gold, so to say. With dim lights and a glass full of something refreshing, this rag hit including its percussion break goes down very well. My favourite, however, remains the »Careless Whisper« clone »White Horse«. Six minutes of bracket blues: hold on to your love.
Exit
