Naming your musical project Long Fling suggests that you don’t care about conventions all that much. And considering that they front Pip Blom and Personal Trainer, respectively, it’s safe to say neither Blom nor Willem Smit do. Fans of the Dutch indie scene will be familiar with both acts’ output – intuitive, witty, offbeat DIY pop – and it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the music on the duo’s eponymous debut LP has many of the same traits.
Incidentally, the relationship between the two artists is not a fling. Or if it is, it’s definitely a long one: they have been a couple for over a decade. Now you may start wondering why it has taken them so long to partner up as musicians, but the truth is they’ve been collaborating pretty much from the get go. Long Fling was years in the making, shaped intermittently whenever the parent bands’ schedules made it possible for the duo to focus on writing songs for the project. By their own admission, it was tough going initially, but as time passed they got to know each other’s artistic approach better and grew more comfortable working together. “We don’t ask too many questions in the process,” Smit explains, “which I like. Songs just kind of happen.”
The album is clearly the work of a couple who have learned how to feed off each other. Feeling like a gentle push-and-pull between the two creative personalities, Long Fling features ten songs that are structured simply, yet the interplay of playful guitar lines, krautrock-leaning rhythmic quirks, and synth bursts gives each one the energy needed to keep the momentum going. And whenever they don’t quite have the vigour to propel them forward, there is invariably some small detail that keeps them interesting, such as Smit’s calmer, Guy Garvey-like delivery on “Weird Peace” or his falsetto on the off-kilter “Shoes”, which turns into a ravey banger in its final stretch.
With the majority of the tracks clocking in under three
minutes, the album does fly by. In truth, though, it’s not only due to
the brevity of the songs but because you’re busy enjoying yourself.
There’s such a giddy, easy charm to Long Fling that you barely
notice the time passing. And with lyrics like “Remember that time we had
Chinese for breakfast / And you threw up in the sink?” – up there with
the best album opening lines of all time – on the shoegaze-tinged “Pig”,
Blom and Smit have no trouble whatsoever keeping you engaged. There’s
plenty of wry humour on display as the duo touch on banal oddities (“I
found another sock / The one I wear has holes”) but they can also get
cryptic (“He walked into the golden room / And cracked the code for
someone”) or poignant (“There’s a pain inside that should be dealt
with”). Even though – or maybe exactly because – they mostly feel like
off-the-cuff banter, the lyrics are relatable and stick with you.
Ultimately, though, what makes Long Fling more
than just a joyous, fun debut is those moments the duo go beyond lo-fi
textures and steady grooves, catching you off guard. Combining twee
indie pop with fuzzed out post-punk guitars and spaced-out synth, “For
Someone” is such a surprising treat, but the highlight has got to be
“Tossed” where the music suddenly stops halfway through, and an acoustic
guitar takes over to introduce something entirely different. A trace of
programming provides the backdrop to Blom’s haunting vocals before,
aided by sound effects, guitars and drums, this “new” track morphs back
into the original for a frantic, final sing-along.
Long Fling may be a side-project, but in addition
to capturing the offbeat charm of the two artists, it creates a world
all its own, leaving the impression of something lasting.
