Crocodiles have never been too far out of our minds, with the band’s first two albums firmly set in our hearts it’s hard not to have great expectations for their third studio album. Endless Flowers sees the duo evolve fully into the five piece and hit the studio in Berlin. The opening track sharing the album title is slightly unpredictable, not the raw puck, Jesus and Mary Chain rip roaring buzz of guitars and feedback but a more slick pop song with an almost old time crooner style vocal. It seems they have managed to contain the beast, nurturing and crafting it in to a more mature, controlled and polished sound while still keeping the Echo and the Bunnymen feel.
The first single ‘Sunday (Psychic Conversation #9)’ congers up The Dandy Warhol’s with the guitar bends of the intro, a hugely upbeat rock n roll jolt of super sexy Crocodiles alternative indie. Endless Flowers sees Crocodiles experiment with songs in a different way than their previous albums before bringing them into full bloom. ‘Hung Up On A Flower’ holds JAMC styles in this ballad, with deep and dark lyrics adding to the slow burning atmosphere with Welchez’s reverb drenched vocals floating dream like in a Lennonesque sort of way. ‘My Surfing Lucifer’ is one of the most unpredictable track on the album, at over 7 minutes the first two are taken up by a noise scape and female German voices before errupting in a sea of flames which could literally be the soundtrack to a tour of the devils lare. ‘He’s my luciffer, my surfing lucier’ sings Welchez, along with 60’s girl group backing vox.
Endless Flowers is a much more pop orientated album with rich melodies killer hooks and sprinkled with a 60’s feel in moments along the way, they’ve not ditched their influences but added value to what has clearly inspired them but in a new way. Top marks from us, that’s about the only thing that is predictable.
Read our interview with Charles here.