Album Review: Flowertruck – Mostly Sunny

In terms of a forecast, the title to the debut album by Sydney’s Flowertruck, ‘Mostly Sunny’ is overly pessimistic. There are no clouds on this horizon. And yet in terms of temperament – and to torturously extend the metaphor – it perfectly captures the tone of this stunning album.

Bright, bouncy tunes with a hint of melancholia and packed with a sense of self-deprecating humour. It’s not all bright and shallow in the world of Flowertruck.

‘Mostly Sunny’ combines its indie rock genes with sharp creative synths and intelligent, personal and amusing lyrics, showcasing a band that works together seamlessly to produce one of most highly cohesive and pleasing debuts in a long while.The songs are exuberant and unashamedly power-pop anthems, and even when the band does dial down the effervescence, such as in songs like ‘Rain’, they still manage to infuse it with drama and sweeping choruses.

I’ve already reviewed two singles off this album. I noted that ‘Good Enough For Now’ has a ‘certain twee ingredient, a sense of innocence and a hint of gaucheness yet a divine mastery of melody’:

‘Come Across’ has ‘an unabashed joyful jangle and bounce’:

The vocals throughout the album are an absolute delight – they have that indefinable fragile strength of singers like David Byrne (Talking Heads) or Edwyn Collins (Orange Juice) yet in a proud Australian twang that gives the songs their authenticity. They are at times shouty and punky, they break with emotion, they are above all passionate and expressive.

It is fantastic to see that the rest of the album matches the class of the two singles: any individual track could have been a single which in the world of disposable singles and the rumoured death of the album is a welcome and wondrous thing. ‘New is The Saddest Word’ is an example of this internal consistency within the album – a bouncy, eighties synth track with a chorus that outshakes anything by Arcade Fire.

Earlier single, ‘Dying to Hear’ is a wistful, atmospheric and haunting song that has the kind of vaulting chorus that lifts the hairs on the back of your neck. ‘Komichi’ is underpinned by a fantastic throbbing bass and chiming guitars and such a warm uplifting chorus with soaring backing vocals that would fit perfectly next to the Manic Street Preachers or Travis (Hymn from a Village era in particular) in your record collection.

You can get or stream the album through Spunk Records here.

Mostly Sunny? It’s perfect.

Flowertruck are on tour in April along the east coast of Australia, more details here.

FRI 6 APR | THE WORKERS CLUB, MELBOURNE
w/ Real Love & more TBA

SAT 7 APR | BY THE MEADOW, BAMBA

SAT 14 APR | THE FOUNDRY, BRISBANE
w/ Sleep Club & Chakra Efendi

SUN 15 APR | NORTH GONG HOTEL, WOLLONGONG
FREE EVENT

SAT 28 APR | THE LANSDOWNE, SYDNEY
w/ Gauci & Dominic Brean

Photos Christie Crawford.