Review of Endless Flowers Album by Crocodiles

Crocodiles are known for their racket; good racket mind and they haven't given this up on this for 'Endless Flowers.' They seem to have tamed themselves, something that may make them likeable to a wider crowd and spread the love of this cleaner noise pop sound. Don't worry; it's not that squeaky clean, they haven't turned this Jesus and Mary Chain influence on its head. But it sounds like they're progressing and taking anxious baby steps out of this 80s Jesus and Mary Chain shadow that has been cast upon them since 2008.

Crocodiles Endless Flowers Album

The San-Diego band, Charles Rowell and Brandon Welchez (in the band's basic form) have kept the distorted strings and ravenous drums for this third record of theirs. However, if they let these go a little, a whole new original record may have been formed here - an important thing to do if a band have been away a while. Title track, 'Endless Flowers', has a lot of charisma about it in a perfect attempt to draw followers into the album. It's a damn good effort, but it's nothing that's gone unsaid before.

The raucous beat and ironically romantic lyrics of 'you protect me from myself' and 'I'm falling in love with you' echo throughout 'Dark Alleys' - a strangely shady name for a love song though maybe it's in reference to what goes on down these 'dark alleys', if you get the picture. Moving swiftly on, 'My Surfing Lucifer' is seven minutes long. This is unnecessary when the first two minutes are some haunting mumbles and deep atmospheric rumblings (they just can't escape this 'noise' can they?). The rest of the song has the same ingredients as the others on here.

'Bubblegum Trash' is an indie/pop track through and through with a Crocodiles stamp. The hideously catchy chorus, 'just bubblegum trash', sounds a bit like Howler. Nostalgic ripples are felt in 'No Black Clouds For Dee Dee', a song obviously about Welchez's wife, Dee Dee Penny of Dum Dum Girls. 'No more black clouds hangin' around' hang around in the refrain with the distant vocal and quieter, respectful backing. It's got an element of The Stone Roses about it. The chimes that signal and end 'You Are Forgiven' create another longing atmosphere and the silence at the end, draws out in a creepy fashion. These two tracks may be the quietest, but they give out the biggest messages.

This controlled and content route should be where they head for album number four. These more personal tracks are much more appealing and Crocodiles have proved that they can pen a track without using that trusty comfort blanket of distortion.

Hayley Fox


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