Pretty Flowers – S/T / 2006 Bananaseat / 3 Tracks / http://www.prettyflowers.org / [email protected] / Reviewed 05 September 2006

It is always so hard to give band s a good review when all they send you is two or three songs. This is what Pretty Flowers does on this EP, so any gaps in my opinion on the band can only be corrected by a longer disc. Saying that, their self-titled EP starts out with “Riot”, a track that is led by a very distorted guitar line. There seems to be a lo-fi charm to the band (or is it just because they were unable to get to a better studio), but either way, Pretty Flowers bring their “A” game even at this early point of the disc.

During this track, Pretty Flowers go forth with a staggered vocal assault that should make listeners recall acts like The Donnas and The Go Team. The arrangements are not the densest that I’ve heard, but rather seem to draw inspiration from the work of sixties pop rockers and The Ramones. The lead set of vocals during the track also should be linked to those from the L.E.S. Stitches. At some point, there is a streetwise savvy that is present in these vocals, and it perhaps this that should bring listeners in most of all. “Knife Fight” shows a completely different side to Pretty Flowers. During this track, there is a much less human and more mechanical sound to the band and their arrangements.

The vocals are delivered in a monotone, while the guitars and drums present on the track all follow very (for the lack of a better phrase) cookie-cutter lines. It is as if the bass lines were played by the fifties conception of a robot, and this provides listeners with an interesting addition to Pretty Flowers’s sound. The fact that the band allows each member to shine at different points during the songs on this EP allows for a fuller sound than what would be present if the guitars and vocals were sat up at the front and turned up louder than the rest of the band. The disc ends with “I’ve Got Your Love”, another track that fleshes out individual conceptions about Pretty Flowers. With each track all being so qualitatively different from the others, what should listeners expect from the band with their future recordings? Everything is done well, and while “I’ve Got Your Love” is the strongest track on the disc, there is nothing that is particularly troubling about the band. I know I am curious and want to hear more from the band to see where they end up going with future recordings.

Top Track: I’ve Got Your Love

Rating: 6.8/10

[JMcQ]