Flower Travellin' Band - We Are Here

Flower Travellin' Band is known for using themes that revolve around India and Buddhism. The band was active during the beginning of the 70's and unfortunately disbanded very suddenly; but now, after 35 years, the line-up has returned to the scene with an evolved sound. The musicians, now at a mature age, don't care to pose in front of the media flashlights and have chosen to use graphics and the mysterious silhouette shown in the cover to represent them. Luckily, the cardboard CD case reveals the original version of the group photo under the disc.

The comeback album We Are Here was recorded in Toronto, Canada and presents a new style, with the heavier sound now reduced to a minimum. In a way this is a shame, as the previous albums that mixed in some heavy metal/progressive rock have been named as important influences for several bands playing in darker styles. However, the change makes for an extremely relaxed and carefree album that seems to suit perfectly calm moments.

The decades of peace and love may have already passed by, yet in the lyrics, written completely in English, one can still find such hippie styled gems like in the title song's "Doesn't matter if you're black or white / Cuz I'm yellow / I don't care if you're wrong or right / Long as you're mellow" or on the interesting track Don't touch my dreadlocks, where one is being forbidden to touch the dreadlocks once the storyteller is on his way to heaven on earth.

The recording presents several convincing guitar and keyboard parts, but for listeners used to more fast paced music, the album may seem to move forward a tad too slowly and doesn't give out any kind of energy kick or great excitement as some of their previous works have done. This shows particularly during a few especially dawdling songs, such as dYE-jobe and Love Is.... On the positive side, one of the most touching vocals can be found from the fairytale-like track Over & Over, which sounds like something off a soundtrack of some astounding movie. The singer Akira "Joe" Yamanaka has a long solo career behind him, and every now and then his voice shows an androgynous nuance, reminding of a few deep voiced female blues vocalists.

It should be said that We Are Here most probably won't be of much interest if one doesn't give the soundtrack styled album the time to really open up its feeling. However, the high quality music can be warmly recommended for relaxation and soothing moments.