Featured Album this Week (5/31/10): “Ghostpepper” by Flowmotion
While sifting through albums under Bandcamp’s “Indie” tag, I found this talented band that really should be filed under the “Classic Rock” tag instead. Even though I was born in the late 80′s, classic rock was what I grew up on and first loved, so I always get excited when I find a really good classic rock band that I have never heard of before.
Flowmotion is a Seattle-based rock band that has been around since 2001. They pride themselves in being one of the West Coast’s best kept secrets, and they possess some killer talent to back up that reputation. Back in March of this year, they released an album called “Ghostpepper,” which is the one that I came across over at Bandcamp. The entire album flows very nicely, yet the vibe changes substantially from song to song. These changes really keep it interesting and worth listening to the whole album in one sitting. Also, not one song is under four minutes, so it is a lengthy album. But I didn’t mind at all, because these guys can really jam.
The album was produced by Scott Colburn, the man behind the incredible works of Arcade Fire, Animal Collective, and a few other indie giants. Most of the album was captured from live studio performances, but still sounds incredibly tight.
The first song, “100 Miles,” is what sucked me in and enticed me stick around to listen to the album in its entirety. “100 Miles” brings immediate energy, and the vocal melody reminds me of Everclear’s Art Alexakis, with little hints of classic rockers from decades back. The entire song is a very awesome combination of modern with classic, and is very hard to replicate. The second song, “Home,” boasts killer guitar and vocal harmonies in the choruses, and sounds very Boston-esque. This song has very few lyrics, and is pretty much a badass jam session with killer guitar solos.
The next few songs are more mellow, and the instrumentals really remind me of the chillest songs that 311 has put out. To me, the effects on the guitars remind me of “Amber” and “Beyond the Gray Sky.” In the title track, “Ghostpepper,” I really enjoyed the use of running the guitar pick up the strings. It sounds really freaking cool in the intro, and can be heard a few more times throughout the song. The outro solo sounds like Santana on speed, and made me feel like I should probably practice guitar for an additional hour today.
They finish out the album strong and energetic, much like how it began. The introduction of “I’m Gone” made me feel like I was listening to “Jessica” by The Allman Brothers, which is never a bad thing. Also, I’d really love to know how they got the guitars to sound so beastly on the final track, “Miles”. They are no joke.
Overall, an excellent album, and their Bandcamp widget will be posted here until next Sunday. If you like what you hear, do not hesitate to click over to their Bandcamp page and purchase a copy of the album for $12 (or more).
