Those familiar with Public Service Broadcasting are eagerly anticipating the release of their new album. For those who aren't acquainted, here’s a brief introduction. Public Service Broadcasting, or PSB for short, is a London-based quartet led by J. Willgoose, Esq. (machines, guitars, samples), Wrigglesworth (drums, piano), JF Abraham (bass and various instruments), and Mr B (visuals and set design for live performances). Yes, these are their stage names. While Wrigglesworth might raise eyebrows, Mr B is quite inspired. They blend electronic layers with rock elements, incorporating sound extracts from historical archives, whether from period radio or TV recordings. This approach allows Willgoose, Esq. & Co. to create immersive concept albums that fully embrace their thematic focus.
Their discography includes 2013’s 'Inform-Educate-Entertain', which celebrated human achievements like the first expedition to Mount Everest using samples from the British Film Institute (BFI); 2015’s 'The Race For Space', which recounted the American and Soviet space race from 1957 to 1972; 2017’s 'Every Valley', focusing on the history of the Welsh mining industry; and 2021’s 'Bright Magic', which chronicled Berlin’s history through speech samples and guest vocalists. Despite the weighty subject matter, PSB has perfected the art of musical storytelling, delighting fans with experimental soundscapes that complement each album’s theme.
For their latest venture, 'The Last Flight', PSB turns their attention to pioneering American pilot Amelia Earhart. Over nine tracks, their fifth album explores the final voyage of the “aviatrix” who, in 1922 at the age of twenty-five, became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In 1937, she aimed to become the first woman to circumnavigate the globe by air. On July 2, she and her navigator Fred Noonan departed Papua New Guinea for Howland Island in the Central Pacific but never reached their destination, disappearing without a trace.
Earhart’s life and tragic flight have been depicted before, notably in films like 1943’s 'Flight for Freedom' with Rosalind Russell, 1994’s 'Amelia Earhart: The Final Flight' with Diane Keaton, and 2009’s 'Amelia' with Hilary Swank. Now, Earhart’s fatal last adventure is immortalized in music.
The album opens with ‘I Was Always Dreaming’, featuring voice actor Kate Graham reading excerpts from Earhart’s journal against a backdrop of ethereal atmospherics and moody bass chords. These recreations of Earhart’s voice are crafted to sound period-accurate, creating a convincing yet not entirely authentic effect. The album’s tone shifts from the dreamlike and ominous start to the more upbeat ‘Towards The Dawn’, capturing the excitement of adventure through radio extracts and Earhart’s optimistic words.
While Earhart’s story ends in tragedy, 'The Final Flight' is not a somber record. The music often conveys a sense of wonder and adventure, uplifting despite the occasional gloom. Tracks like ‘The Fun Of It’, featuring Andreya Casablanca of Berlin duo Gurr, and ‘The South Atlantic’, with Kate Stables of This Is The Kit, offer catchy guitar riffs and a sense of calm, respectively. The standout track ‘Electra’, named after Earhart’s Lockheed Model 10-E Electra aircraft, blends propulsive rhythms with period radio samples and stellar vocals from EERA and Hannah Peel.
The album’s penultimate track, ‘A Different Kind Of Love’, returns to a romantic tone, featuring a phone conversation between Earhart and her husband George P. Putnam. The concluding track ‘Howland’, named after the island Earhart aimed to reach, is an atmospherically rich and moving finale, blending string sections with faint audio samples of Earhart’s recordings. The album ends with a haunting rendition of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem “The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls”, leaving listeners with the sounds of waves and birds over an anonymous watery grave.
PSB has crafted textured and heartfelt soundscapes in their tribute to Earhart’s dreams, determination, and life spirit. 'The Final Flight' is an evocative soundtrack to her mysterious last journey, filled with romanticism, excitement, and tragedy, making it a truly treasured record. As with their debut, PSB informs, educates, entertains, and stirs the soul.
Public Service Broadcasting’s ‘The Final Flight’ is out today.
