Typically bands tend to get quieter, more introspective and mellower as their career progresses. Regular John began as a noisy rock band, full of bravado and riffs dug up from the dirge. Whilst Strange Flowers still essentially is a psychedelic record, you can still catch glimpses of those solid guitar-generated riffs in amongst the droning bass lines and reverb-soaked vocals.
With only ten tracks on Strange Flowers, this is a tightly harnessed record focusing on quality over quantity. The album's title track is a blissful rendezvous, as it weaves its way in and out of a driving first section, before imploding in upon itself in the bridge and coming full-circle. This can also be said for the album as a whole. Opening track Sky Burial, is a pulsing bass-heavy track made complete with jangly sparse guitars, while first single Slume is a dirty and emotional track that features some very intricate rhythmic changes and heartfelt lyrics. Letters In Braille is a more low-key, casual affair yet still effectively portrays the band's moodier side. Green is a blues-based jam inspired track, and by the far the album's longest track, and features a stripped-back middle section.
Regular John have mutated themselves into a different musical beast whilst still maintaining the soul that makes the band unique. It could have been very easy to make a straightforward rock-by-numbers record, yet they have opted to keep themselves interested and challenged by exploring sound textures and messing around with traditional song structures. Strange Flowers is everything a rock album should be: honest, edgy and damn right powerful.
