The Strange Flowers
Pearls At Swine

The Strange Flowers are a historic band from Pisa formed in the late '80s, during the height of the garage-psychedelic revival. It was the era of the '60s music revival which also swept through our peninsula. Particularly, the music scene in Pisa seemed to gather all the best and most creative minds. Everything started with the seminal Useless Boys, from which a legendary band like the Birdmen Of Alkatraz of Daniele Caputo and Maurizio Curadi emerged, authors of the mini LP "Glidin’ Off", probably the best psychedelic record ever released in Italy. How can we forget the excellent Steeplejack, also by Maurizio Curadi (still active today), and the Liars? It is within this context that the Strange Flowers found themselves operating, although they arrived a little late, as the driving force of the phenomenon was already waning. Compared to the names mentioned, the Strange Flowers expanded beyond their initial garage-blues towards other genres such as new wave and space rock. They still have a genuine "psychedelic" attitude as evidenced by their concerts where they perform long space-rock jams. One of their most significant albums is undoubtedly “Music For Astronauts”, released by the German label Unique Records and highly appreciated by Rudi Protrudi of Fuzztones, who authored the liner notes. Over time, the band underwent various lineup changes but managed to survive until today. "Pearl At Swine", released by the commendable Area Pirata, is their seventh album. The band shows they haven't lost their genuinely "psycho-pop" attitude, probably their most natural dimension. Among echoes of early Pink Floyd and the Misunderstood, "Pearl At Swine" benefits from a joyful and fresh writing style and has the merit of never becoming boring. There are no dull moments, though I would like to highlight the opening "Throwing Pearl At Swine", which boasts an irresistible melody, and "Watching The Clouds From A Strawberry Tree", with an atmosphere typical of '60s English psychedelia. Also noteworthy are the surreal "Steven Bought A White Rope" and "The Sensational Show Of The Clouds", featuring a fine acidic guitar. A positive addition to the sound is the introduction of Florentine Giacomo Ferrari on keyboards. Rounding out the lineup are Michele Marinò (one of the founders) and Nicola Cionini on guitars and Matteo D’Ignazi on drums. In conclusion, "Pearls At Swine" is a good psych-pop album that will delight fans of '60s sounds.