Crimson Flame instilled sermonic spirituality into Head in the Clouds, a blues-rock meditation on the mystery and power possessed by mountains. Under the inspiration of the Cairngorm Mountains, the Worcestershire duo, fronted by powerhouse singer and rhythm guitarist Chantelle Kimberley alongside guitarist Finley White, takes a metaphysical approach to rock grandeur.
The single echoes the expanse of a mountainscape through an arcane, folk-tinged atmosphere, opening on intricate acoustic fingerpicking before gathering into a thunderous electric storm. Ancient rock faces, lowering clouds and surreal upland light become the emotional architecture of the track to ensure you will never look at a rock face in the same way again after being spellbound by Head in the Clouds.
Imagine the vocal power of Florence Welch meeting the new-age lore of Stevie Nicks, and you get an idea of just how viscerally Kimberley’s vocals shake up your soul. The riffs carry classic British blues-rock blood, pulling from Led Zeppelin, Rory Gallagher, Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac and Jimi Hendrix while keeping Crimson Flame’s ancient-but-modern charge intact.
After festival dates, shows across the Midlands and London, plus an opening slot for Mike Sanchez and Robert Plant at Kidderminster Town Hall, Crimson Flame now have the accolades to put against the pedigree in their sound.
It’s rare that a new voice in blues rock feels truly new, but Head in the Clouds leaves reverence for the genre revived on Crimson Flame’s own fiery terms.
Head in the Clouds is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.
Review by Amelia Vandergast
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