With so many bands in Austin, ardent listners are bound to have more than a few favorites. For me, I have enjoyed listening to the sounds of the Ugly Beats, the Soulphonics, Lost Nerve, and the Mellows over the years. With the release of Love Notes, now the Flowertones have been added to my Austin favorites list. These bands share the characteristic of stripping the sound down to the essentials, all while adding a soulful element.
“Holy Fuzz” were the first words that came to mind when the guitar chords of “Three Sweet Words” came over the speakers over the top of burbling bass recalling the Beach Boys’ “Don’t Hurt My Little Sister.” Soon their buoyant and clear vocals, complete with that Buddy Holly quiver, swirl into the stellar instrumentation to make for quite a sweeping first impression. “Meant for Me and You” draws upon the “Walk, Don’t Run” chord progression that descends down the neck of the guitar. Their straightforward sweet vocals and entrancing close harmonies are accompanied with some out-of-this-world Meek-ian guitar runs allowing the nifty number to lift off. All three of the Flowertones can sing and they trade off lead vocals with expansive backing harmonies that dissolve the decades throughout the album.
The influences of Tommy Roe and the Bobby Fuller Four join Buddy on the infectious “Alone with You.” The palm muted guitar, dashing rhythmic energy and majestic sing-a-long melody makes this song stand out like Paul Collins taking a Holly Day. I can also hear a mix in my head that includes the ringing of bells. The adventurous “instrumental” “Cantina” concludes Side A with Fireballs flair. After the intermission, “Cecilia” with its Sunny & the Sunliners/San Antonio disposition sounds equally at home inside a stucco ranch as it does a honky tonk. It makes sense as the album was recorded outside the Austin City Limits in Lockhart, Texas. I can hear this song uniting generations of listeners from those who grew up with the Everly Brothers to those who have found their way to the Cut Worms. The vivacious and effervescent “Things are Strange” features a jaunty guitar with almost a calypso rhythm that entices all to the dance floor. Next “Falling in Love With You” has the “At the Hop” swing that brings back the joy of moving the body across time and space. “Love Will Make Cry” with its “Everyday” orientation, cinematically concludes their outstanding debut-where the past and present creatively co-exists. Also be sure to check out some of the pre-album singles. The ultra-catchy "Make it Alone" ambles along like "It was I" by Skip & Flip, while “Side By Side” is more uptempo in a Nick Lowe/George Harrison power-pop way.
The spirit of Buddy Holly continues to live and loom large on this album and Texas music in general. There is even a bit of Roky Erickson in the looks of Micah Sims who sometimes sports a mullet and ‘stach. These aspects all beg the question: Where did this sound and where did these musicians come from? A couple of keyboard clicks reveals Micah used to front the rockabilly outfit Spud Sims and the Beltways, while Scott Cater provided bass & guitar for the said combo. The additional X factor for the Flowertones seems to be the addition of Justin Stewart playing the Macca role on bass and vocals.
It’s interesting how some of these Texas bands like the Mellows and the Flowertones start off in the traditional rockabilly scene and become popular on the European scene, before taking their twangy & rootsy music in a soulful garage-pop direction that broadens their crossover appeal on a level comparable to Deke Dickerson & the Whippersnappers and the McCharmlys. It’s a quintessential rock’n’ roll sound that can connect the trio with the surf, garage, power-pop, rockabilly and Americana audiences in Austin to all over the world.
Love Notes will be released by Swelltune Records on December 19, 2026
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