Much like their previous two releases, The Green Hills of Earth and The Red Tandy EP, Kiss The Crystal Flake continues the Mother Hips tradition of laid back pysch-pop, that shines with it’s crisp production, California-styled hook filled songs. On “Time We Had”, the third track off the album is an excellent example of this. The Brian Wislonesque vocal melodies, during the chorus is especially nice. “White Headphones” and “Time-Sick Son of a Grizzy Bear” brings us to a slower almost classic Rolling Stones sound, with a glimmer of psychedelic guitar riffs. The Mother Hips best moments come on “No Name Darrell” in my opinion (hear the track on MySpace). The lead singer matches the melodies of his guitar with his vocals to create an enjoyable melodic collision of classic R&B sound with pop catchiness. I’ve been a fan of The Mother Hips for several years after I heard “Life in the City” from Green Hills of Earth album. The genuine pop hooks and quality of music from this band has continued to grow and improve over the years. You would have a very hard time believing that the same band produced this album and 1995’s Back to The Grotto – they are so different. Kiss The Crystal Flake is an awesome album that contains many songs with catchy mouthwatering hooks and innovative guitar work that will appeal to power pop fans and it’s widely available.
Emusic | My Space | itunes | Mother Hips Site
Listen to “Time We Had”
Listen to “TGIM”
Listen to “Not So Independent”