As hard as it is to believe, The Flatmates never recorded a full-length album until recently. That they've done so with a new vocalist is a fact that is worth mentioning, though Lisa Bouvier's vocals are as powerful as the roar of the band behind them. And, as this is really the debut record of the band's that's not a compilation, this one is fittingly and simply called The Flatmates and it's out now in the USA via HHBTM Records.
"Shut Up and Kiss Me" and "You Held My Heart" sound a tiny bit like Holly & The Italians, for those of you who remember that band, but the rush of instruments behind the vocals is pure Flatmates. Less dream-pop and more Nuggets-inspired fuzz-pop, lots of what's here on The Flatmates has almost more punch than the band's earlier, famous singles. "Do The Angels Care?" is like Transvision Vamp or The Darling Buds, only scuzzier around the edges, while "The Last Guitar in Town" sounds a tiny bit like Helen Love trying to master the kind of hook that D.C. punk-poppers Dot Dash would love to own. Elsewhere, "The Night We Murdered Love" is pretty endearing, even as "Punk Moth" seems the rare, silly misstep on a record that's largely a successful attempt at reaching for past glories.
All that being said, this is Flatmates Mach 2, of course, and things just don't sound as innocent as before. If the music is rougher, louder, and more in-your-face, then at least there are a lot of riffs here that are fairly memorable. Taken on its own, without the earlier stuff held up next to it, The Flatmates is darn enjoyable. It's not fair to compare this to the first singles from this band because some of the players are different, of course, so just dig it for what it is.
The Flatmates is out now in the USA via HHBTM Records.
More details on The FLatmates via the band's official Facebook page.
[Photo: HHBTM Records]