By Jim Rowland
‘Gone Down Meadowland’ is the much-anticipated debut album release from hotly tipped Norwich based psych outfit Floral Image. Taking inspiration from their immediate surroundings, along with some key musical influences, the album showcases Floral Image’s own brand of “East-Coast psychedelia”.
The idea behind the band’s brand of “East-Coast psychedelia” is to reflect the natural lusciousness and glorious solitude of the immediate world around them via a sun-drenched musical journey through their whimsical Norfolk countryside. Indeed, tracks like ‘Meadowland’, ‘The Dream’ and ‘Call Up The Doctor’ are dreamy, psychedelic sunshine sounds perfect for gearing up for the summer, with ‘Twist Of A Nerve’ having a slightly more folky flavour.
Elsewhere, the spacey, jazzy and crazy sounds of ‘Burning 305’, ‘Boogietown’ and ‘Howling Dog Song’ bear the clear influence of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, the driving and hypnotic space rock of ‘Tiergarten’ points towards Hawkwind and Gong territory, with the lengthy and more laid back ‘Sun For Hire’ having a similar vibe and reminding me a little of French duo Air.
‘Gone Down Meadowland’ is a lush, assured and impressive debut album. If modern day psychedelia is your thing this could be the perfect soundtrack to your psychedelic summer this year.
- ‘Gone Down Meadowland’ is released on Friday (25 April).
