Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Review: Lannie Flowers “New Songs Old Stories”


Power pop

In 2008, power pop singer/songwriter Lannie Flowers won huge critical acclaim for his innovative record, “Same Old Story”, which was a musical collage of song snippets strung together to tell the story of teenage boredom, romance, and loss. The unusual format of the record had some fans begging to hear full-length versions of these song snippets. Fast forward to 2012, the wishes of these fans have been granted on his latest release, the aptly titled “New Songs Old Stories”. Two extra songs from that era are also included among the nine tracks here.

As the song snippets on “Same Old Story” foreshadowed, there are some major league power pop winners to be found. First single and album opener, “Another Weekend” quickly reminds us of the songwriting skills of Lannie Flowers - he lures you in with an enticing verse and blows your mind with a hugely memorable chorus. The melodies on “Come On Girl” are even more meticulously constructed, with spot on backing vocals heightening the listening experience. There a great Cheap Trick energy associated with “You Said”. The record ends very strong with highlights such as the excellent “Tired Of Being Alone” and the radiant “Give Me Another Chance”.

While I must admit that I found his previous release, “Circles” (reviewed here), to be more instantly engaging, “New Songs Old Stories” is sure to please fans, especially those who fell in love with “Same Old Story”. One downside for some fans is going to be the short length of the record, which clocks in just under a half hour. But no worries – he’ll be back in 2013 with the next album in his trilogy, “Home”.

Lannie Flowers – Official site.

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