Band: Even Flowers Kill
Album title: Smile For The Camera
Label: Casket Music - Copro
Distributor: PHD - Bertus
Release date: 25/05/2009
Release: 6-track Mini-CD

I failed to find out when exactly this Coventry based band was originally formed, but I did find press excerps on the band’s live performances (in which they were already being described as conjuring up “…Jazzy interludes interspeced with Hardcore histrionics remeniscent of Dillinger Escape Plan…”) going back to 2002!

Originally a 4-piece consisting of lead singer Matt, guitarist/ backing singer Andy Rodger, bassist/ backing singer Andy Price, and drummer Christoph, the band self-financed the recordings for their January 2005 released full-length (16-track) album Discordance. In April of that same year the band announced having finished their 4-track EP Split Lips And Cocktails, which they recorded with renowned producer Iain Wetherall. A month later they’d recruited a second guitarist in Dusk’s Ryan Tyrell, and running up to the EP’s release (or had it already been released by that time? – the info source ain’t too clear at this point), the boys also posted a video for the EP’s track “Last Dance At The 54” during July. Then, the forward motion of the band is slowed to a dead stop when the singer, new second guitarist, and drummer (went to join Fossils) all left the band around the same time (no mention of when exactly that was).

Timewarp One. In late 2006 a sorts of re-grouping came about with the two Andys finding the slightly genius female drummer Helen Rowell, and the current line-up was completed when singer/ synth player Mark Howes joined their ranks in March of 2007. In between the occasional live appearance, the band again works on new tracks, 8 of which they’ve record at home by December…apparently self-released as a self-titled album towards the end of 2008 (although no details of the actual “release” are found on the band’s MySpace page or own website). Late July 2008 finds the quartet back at Iain Wetherall’s studio in Corby to record 5 new tracks, and right after they post  the weirdly titled “I Love You Kerry McKenna, Please Come Home (With The Kids)” at myspace.com/evenflowerskill.

Timewarp 2. In April 2009 the band not only posts the track “Ruth Has Information That Will Destroy You” (gee, how dó they come up with those titles?), but also announces that thay’ve signed a deal with the good people at Casket Music/ Copro for the release of their EP…leading to a promo copy being sent to us for review (and don’t I just lóve the guys for it!?). The music the band plays still complies to the description you can read in the first paragraph of this review, with each song finding the guys going from aggressive to calmer, including vocals that are screamed, spoken, clean at different moments. Evidently, with the two Andys bringing backing vocals, there’s a couple of moments when the vocal mode is mixed as well! Freaky synth passages can be found in just about évery track, with Andy R. bringing those typical Math riffs in the more aggressive passages. But you know something, since I don’t feel like describing each song in detail (which would be necessary to give the individual tracks the credit they’s owed), I’ll  just direct you to the band’s MySpace, where you’ll not only find the above mentioned video and tracks, but also “Dick Wang Is A Dirty Stinking Liar (What Octopus?)” and 3 songs off the band’s elusive self-titled 8-track, 2008 album!

As far as I’m  concerned, I’m won over! If you’ve taken the trouble to read this far, and check out the band’s music in the process, I can certainly count yoù in that category of people as well! Darn, these guys (and girl) are good! The EP may only be 26 ½ minutes long, but you are well served, and I advise any potential buyers of the mini-album to train their “push-play-finger” in advance. “Best Albums Of 2009”-list material, by àll means!!!

98/100

Tony.