Flounders Without Eyes
What Will It Bring

By Chuck Moe
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  Austin Texas- At one time, a small college town with great atmosphere and great music. Now, A sprawling city with a huge semiconductor presence causing massive traffic jams and crowded streets, but still great music. Take an evening stroll downtown (while elbowing your way through the drunken college students) and you are enamored with tens of great local bands playing at the bars and clubs trying to break out. How does one filter through all the different bands with similar styles and talent? Well, you read music reviews where some dope with a exaggerated sense of oneself (a.k.a. me!) let’s you know who stands out. Which brings me to this review of Flounders Without Eyes new CD What Will It Bring featuring Jenny Mier on vocals, Don Baker on lead guitar/vocals, Andy Markoff on drums, Joe Mier on bass/vocals, Pat Manske on percussion/vocals, and Mike Morgan on rhythm guitar/vocals. The Flounders are anything but floundering on their newest CD.

What Will It Bring is best described as good old Texas blues rock with a psychedelic and country feel mixed in. Most importantly though, is not the style, but the groove. That is the strength of this album, the groove; smooth rhythms throughout with enough strength to keep the head and booty boppin for the duration of this disc. It’s rare to find albums that can so adeptly combine these elements without sacrificing one or the other. Not only is the songwriting strong, but the musicianship is also excellent. It’s obvious that the band has spent some time jamming together as they all seem to be on the same page creating kick back, chill out,  groovin beats and rhythms that makes you forget all about the aforementioned traffic jams and crowds. Picture the conversation, “Wassssup!…Wasssssup!…..nothing…chillin…drinking a Bud…listening to the Flounders….true, true.”

The track “Flounders Floating” is a good example of this groove. The band seems “locked in the pocket” and  yet still manages to freely express the melodies and harmonies with grace and style. Another standout track is “Honey Hush” ; a blues based (with hints of a Clapton sound) tune with some good work on the drums and emotional lead playing on the guitar. “Raining” is another notable track that has a beautiful guitar tone and a dreamy feel to a solid back rhythm. Jenny Mier’s strong and raspy vocals in this song and throughout the disc are sung with an emotion that lends some nice soul to the music. Which brings me to what separates the Flounders from a lot of the other Austin based bands; the stylistic influences of psychedelic rock and a little soul. This is not your typical bar band and not your typical album. For more information about the band and the new CD please click here.

Enjoyment: 85

Sound: 76