Night Flowers
Self-titled CDEP
self-released
Genre: rock
Toronto, Ontario
Oct 17, 2008 |
This Toronto-based girl-boy-girl band likens itself to "Fraggle Rock
meets Nirvana," but that might be overcomplicating the case. This five
track EP is a surprisingly heavy rock record, employing grungy
choruses and power chords aplenty. It is a fairly polished affair,
drawing comparisons to The Breeders and Bettie Serveert
but utilizing a more conventional approach; Elastica and The
Cranberries may be closer frames of reference.
The EP's most successful song is the deliciously brooding "Fortune
Cookie," which rolls along in a wonderfully dreamy haze, making use of
some wonderful synths to achieve a vague shoegazer vibe. It picks up
steam near the end, although I find of the moments of slower drear a
tad more palatable. "Ground Zero" shares this hazy mood, but turns out
a tad less consistent. Sadly, the rest of the EP doesn't match its
more promising moments. Six minute "Knock on Wood" is long and tinny,
riding a mediocre, repetitious climax to death. "Pep Rally,"
meanwhile, sounds like it has been ripped straight off of a late
nineties teen drama soundtrack - that said, its execution is passable
if unspectacular, and it boasts an evocative, dark vibe.
As it stands, Night Flowers is a decent rock band that seems
a bit at odd with today's music scene. Likely too "alternative rock"
for indie rockers, they sound like the type of folks that might have
scored a minor hit in the mid- to late nineties. There is a certain
charm here, but potential buyers should approach with caution.
night flowers' myspace
70%
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 5 tracks, distributed by
the band,
released 2008] |