Flowerland

Over the course of their first two albums, Pearl & the Oysters constructed a sonic world where 60s French sounds, space age 90s pop, and timeless novelty songs all combined to create a frothy ball of gently beaming sunshine. Their third album, Flowerland, doesnt do much to mess with success, making it a brilliant conclusion to the Florida trilogy -- so named because multi-instrumentalist Joachim Polack and vocalist Juliette Davis relocated to that state from their native France. They have since moved to L.A., but not without one more gloriously light and bubbly dispatch from a place where tacky nostalgia and sticky humidity are baked into everything. Working with a wide range of collaborators that includes fellow nostalgia buff Dent May, the duo give their sound a slight upgrade here. The drum machines sound a little less low-tech, the synths are brighter, and the overall approach edges away from kitschy kitchen-sink arrangements toward an assured and more unified smoothness. None of these changes do much to lessen the good-natured appeal of the group, especially since the melodies are just as enchanting as ever. Every song here feels like a lost classic beamed down from outer space, balancing the tipsy production with easy charm of Davis vocals. She can handle anything Polack throws her way, sounding beguiling on the Beach Boys-referencing Radiant Radish, capturing some soft rock feeling on Candy, or crooning sweetly on their cover of Caetano Velosos Baby. As before, they make a perfect team and even do some wonderful vocal back-and-forth on the bubbling Soft Science that kicks off the record. That song does mark one of the few things that is different about Flowerland. They delve into some heavier subjects in the lyrics this time, talking about relationship troubles, ecological issues, anxiety brought on by the state of the world, and other fun stuff. Wrapped in perky melodies, a rich tapestry of soft sounds, and sweet vocals, its there if one decides to dig below the surface. If that sounds like too much trouble, its perfectly fine to sit back and let the sweetly carbonated songs float by and fill the air with a warm, comforting glow instead. Just as they have twice before, Pearl & the Oysters have again created a pure pop confection thats nostalgic and forward-looking at once. ~ Tim Sendra