Given their name, it would be easy to assume that Bristolian quartet The Garage Flowers were Stone Roses wannabes ('Garage Flower' being the name of that band's aborted 1985 debut album, eventually released over 20 years later), and they may well be fans or have taken their moniker from the Mancunian legends, but musically their "drunken guitar pop" is closer to swaggering garage-punk. It's not surprising that they're Libertines fans (and the feeling may be mutual as the two groups recently met and demos were passed on), as they're comparable to a certain extent, but certainly not copyists.
The two tracks that make up the 'Strivers and Skivers' single share a shambolic charm though, and they seem more concerned with songs being good, rather than just polished and note perfect, which is a basic ethic when it comes to punk and garage anyway. 'Scumbag Utopia (Kings, Queens & Reprobates)' is surprisingly epic with squalling guitar, dirty riffs, and without following a set verse-chorus-verse format. If it sounds right, keep it that way. The melody is memorable too. 'Lollipop Candles' is an frenetic burst of chiming guitars and is both immediate and a grower. They may be just starting out, but The Garage Flowers seem to know where they're headed and have the capabilities to get there, and they're definitely not lacking the hunger for it either.
The Garage Flowers' website
Catch them live:
Oct 17th: Bristol, Oxjam
Oct 31st: Leeds, The Primrose
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