Phillips Latest Treasure

Flint: Treasure of Oblivion (2024) lets gamers enter the golden age of piracy against a an interesting narrative inspired by R. L Stevenson’s Treasure Island. Winifred Phillips (Wizardry, Horse Club Adventures; Jurassic World OPS) helps inspire with her own seafaring style taking us on adventures to distant lands.

“Beastly Buccaneers” wastes no time ramping up the excitement with a dark shanty style and interesting instrumental choices that set the tone well.  The rhythmic energy helps propel things forward well.  Most interesting is the use of a glissando idea in different instrumental combinations that adds an extra quirky flash of sound in the mix.  Growling vocals add an equally disturbing edge to “The Pirate’s Curse” (“Skull and Bones”).  The addition of electric guitar hits and sounds add a more contemporary feel to the title track.  Each track provides some variation on these sounds and styles with castanets adding a bit of flair here and there.  “The Lookout” provides a bit of respite from some of the more intense tracks, with a gentle guitar and lyrical line that floats in and out of the texture.  Everything comes to a close with the exhilarating “Batten Down the Hatches.” 

 Flint: Treasure of Oblivion is a rollicking musical adventure with shanty references that include some folkish fiddle ideas, and some interesting stylistic techniques to add unsettled sounds and effects into the mix.  A sort of parallel universe to the musical sounds of Pirates of the Caribbean which here is one that is a bit grittier, with some excellent unsettled segments to add appropriate tension to the gaming experience. The album is available on most streaming platforms. After just making history with her Grammy for last year's Wizardry, Phillips is poised for many more great adventures I suspect!