DeViCom CD-Review: Echo & the Bunnymen

In 2001 Echo & the Bunnymen made their noble return with What Are You Going to Do with Your Life? and earned many positive reviews for right.
Two years later the band wants to continue their successful return by the release of Flowers. But the record lost the predecessor's melancholic and bittersweet sound. Instead of this the record's name 'Flowers' sets the LP's character: a happy and kind of bloomy sound. As well as it might be you cannot really believe that it is Echo & the Bunnymen playing to you while you are listening to the album. What Are You Going to Do with Your Life?'s magic and depth has disappeared and McCulloch and Seargant set a sound that is near to mainstream and flows by without any real character. The alluring rawness of the band is intact, and songs such as "King of Kings" and "Hide & Seek" are playful cuts with reminiscent production work of 1983's musical prize, Ocean Rain. "It's Alright" rolls with layered guitars, and McCulloch experiments vocally for a rough-edged spiral of psychedelics and '60s pop flair. "Everybody Knows" and "An Eternity Turns" get back to basics, circa Crocodiles, and they are the most consistent set of songs on the new album. Flowers doesn't possess the initial fiery power of the band's first four albums and it cannot really convince the listener of all their power they once had though the record is not as bad as it might sound right now.
All in all the LP is okay but does not prouve any own character.