Flower Clans - Voodoo Café
(Fifth Week Records)

Playing like deep cuts off the "Juno" soundtrack, Flower Clans' newest offering "Voodoo Café" certainly has its moments. However, the Swedish band often mistakes youthful giddiness for audio sugar rush -- landing their work directly in 3-year-old birthday party territory.

It's not that "Voodoo Café" isn't a charming offering -- not admiring its homespun charm would be somewhat akin to kicking a puppy -- however, their everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach quickly wears. Somewhere under it all lays strong, guitar driven folk. When it works on cuts like "Mountain low lay" and "Call me with a smile" it works. However, more often than not, it's frosted over with bizarre Kimya Dawson vocal ticks and errant woodwinds, making songs such as "Tina the reader" a breathtaking study in "almost". Then there are the more flagrant offenders. The best one can say about "Laj la la la laj la la la laj" is at least the band believes in proof in advertising. If only they had taken the perfect flute-driven fluff of closing track "Sunshine" and spread the wealth. Now that would have been something to make us giddy.
- Laura Studarus