The Flood – Hear Us Out

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Okay, there are about 237 bands that perform under the moniker of THE FLOOD. If you want to break bandcamp, or your own mind, type “The Flood” into the bandcamp search bar and prepare for a deluge of bands and albums you aren’t actually looking for. THE FLOOD I’ll be writing about today is the British rock band featuring vocalist Chris Ousey that recently released “Hear Us Out” via Escape Music.

It seems like Chris has a thing about self-conscious album titles. Under OUSEY/MANN we had “Is Anybody Listening” in 2022 and now we have “Hear Us Out” with Ousey-fronted THE FLOOD in 2023 . . . Okay, uninventive band names and literal album titles aside, Chris Ousey does have some serious chops. I mean, the guy can sing. And Jim Kirkpatrick (guitars) can jam, and the whole rhythm section (Billy Sheehan on bass and Nigel Glockler on drums) is premium. I can’t even complain about the keyboards (Phil Manchester, aka Didge Digital). He does, after all, have the perfect ‘known as’ name.  As individual musicians, this is a solid group. And as a wholly realized band, they are technically really good. In fact, they are almost too good. It’s like a pack of studio musicians got together and formed a gang called THE FLOOD and then put together a criminally well orchestrated album. You know, like ASIA, but with more bite and less rep.

The downside to THE FLOOD, as alluded to, is they feel over-produced. Personally, I like my music a little more on the raw side. As far as rock bands go, they lean to Hard Rock. Not Metal, mind you, but radio-friendly Rock. And it isn’t about the db levels or the riffs or the lead solos, it’s about the spirit. A little too polite, too refined.

Okay, I admit most of my critique comes down to taste and debating music is like debating color—completely. Welcome to my subjective review.

“Hear Us Out” is twelve tracks and 52 minutes of technically great Hard Rock with superlatively clean vocals. THE FLOOD isn’t pushing a political agenda, they aren’t boo-hooing about societal ills, and they don’t even seem too much in love. The songs are harmonious and melodic, and fairly catchy. Best tracks in my book are the hard and bluesy ones like “The Devil He Don’t Care” and “A Reason To Change” as well as the edgy “A Tastes Of What’s To Come.”

I can’t say this is a bad album, but I also can’t say it’s great. I think I’ll have to go with middle-of-the-road and call it ‘good,’ keeping in mind that it just isn’t my bag. Bottom line: Good rock band. Extremely talented. I could see them opening for the likes of GRETA VAN FLEET or alongside any number of rock bands like GRAVEYARD or THE VINTAGE CARAVAN. If that’s your thing, you should probably check these guys out post haste.

Songwriting: 6
Musicianship: 8
Memorability: 6
Production: 8