Rating: ***
By now we've established that the Bay Area kicks out some killer bands so I was pretty stoked to see that Crooked Flower was from Berkeley, CA.
From what I read it sounds like the band's calling card is psychedelic acoustic rock and most of the time that kinda jam sits well with me.
This EP entitled "Darkness and Light" is a short and sweet 4 tracks that promise to be "chill and charming" but you can't really trust a one-sheet can you? CAN YOU!!!!????
I'll be the judge of what's chill and charming around these parts thank you very much.
Full chill and charming report upcoming. Please hold.
Listen to "Darkness and Light" on Spotify here
The opening track "Moving On" is an epic instrumental affair that clocks in at just over 10 minutes in length. It's a cool tune, but I'd be willing to bed the point would have gotten across in 5. It reminds me a little of Rush. I actually like it and the musicianship is great, it's just too long, especially for the opening track. "Tunnel of Light" is next and it's got a dark and moody groove to it. It's the first we hear from vocalist, Angelina Dang. She's got solid pipes for sure, but this song lacks something. It's not awful, it's just not particularly interesting is all. "Moving On" has a certain sex appeal to it. I much prefer this one to track 2. It's more focused and frankly has better production. The EP ends with "Boyfriend". This one channels No Doubt and it's a good sound for them. Stripped back a little with earnest lyrics of longing. This is the best song on the record in my opinion.
There was enough to like about "Darkness and Light" for me to give it a positive review. I recommend it to fans of pseudo-prog rock with a softer edge. If that's your thing, I think you should give Crooked Flower a listen.