If I heard Lannie Flowers’ new album Circles playing on a radio station would I want to know who was playing and singing, so I could buy the music. You bet I would! The Texan has put together 15 solid songs that give you the feel of early 1980’s rock / power pop bands of the era, without trying to mimic them.  His influences flow naturally from that period.

This is an album that has taken far too long to reach our ears and that is not the fault of Flowers, who in the early part of his career formed the band The Pengwins (yes that is the correct spelling) who were a rock cover band with an affinity for the music of British groups and artists; T. Rex, David Bowie and Mott The Hoople. They recorded with the likes of Rick Derringer, and producer Jim Dickinson, who among other things also played with Ry Cooder and recorded with Bob Dylan. On Lannie Flowers’ website there is a reference to the band being wooed by music labels such as, Columbia and Polygram, but a series of ill-fated tours or what might better be described in some instances as almost tours, led to the band’s financial demise.

Those days are now behind Flowers and Riveting Riffs Magazine is firmly in his corner chanting his name to those who will listen, while the title song rolls off the album with driving guitars, a quick paced rhythm and strong backbeats courtesy of drummer Matt Key. The listener immediately senses, ‘Hey this is something special.’  This is much more however, than an album that relies solely on the instrumentals, for Lannie Flowers has solid vocals with a warm tone, no Texas drawl is present from this small town guy from Kennedale and if anything the songs have the feel of those British bands he covered so long ago.

“Turn Up Your Radio,” which recently debuted on Twirl Radio broadcasting out of Sacramento California, is the type of song that the boomer generation should warmly embrace. Their kids who are tuning into the idea that mom and dad listened to some pretty good music back in the day will take these songs and party with their friends. Besides the fact that these songs are well written, sung well and played well, the best reason that radio stations should start playing these songs is because their listeners are going to sing along to these songs. If you are a music fan who likes singing along to a song with your friends, chances are you are going to request that your radio station plays the song more often and that is the future for Lannie Flowers’ “Turn Up Your Radio.”

around a bit trying to give you a feel for the music of Lannie Flowers, it is because the more you listen to him, the more you hear in his music, and yet he always manages to emerge with a sound that is distinctly his own, as he does on relationship songs such as, “Favorite Song,” a metaphor for fond memories with a former lover. This is not a downtrodden vibe or a song of lament, but it is just wondering out loud how we got from being so good to being something in the past.

Flowers’ expertise with crafting contagious melodies emerges again, as he sings “C’mon Over,” a song that again showcases good vocals, backed by strong drumming and his own solid guitar work.

With Delbert Raines providing background vocals on “I Don’t Know,” Lannie Flowers serves up a song that pushes the calendar back to a sound reminiscent of the late sixties or early seventies.

The album changes paces with the tenth song “Everyone,” as Flowers’ plays the keyboards and slows things down, in addition to tracking his own solo guitar on the song, in what may be his best and most soulful bit of note bending on Circles.   

“Where Does Love Go,” “Looking For You,” and “Rusty Circles,” are other great songs to listen for on an album that really does not have any weak links. As we move deeper into 2011 let’s celebrate the music of Lannie Flowers and the album Circles, because this is an artist to keep an eye on and worthy of you purchasing his music through his website or through iTunes.

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