Using Gin Blossoms, REM, and Matthew Sweet as blockers, Cellophane Flowers head straight up the middle of the alternative guitar field.
Filching their name from lyrics in the Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," this Santa Barbara quartet does indeed lay its faith in such 60s idols over the more common 70s cults of punk or proto-metal. This three song release is their recording debut, and puts them squarely in that small camp of American bands that aim for pop-rock, ignoring the more commonplace, harder-edged forms championed by most American acts.
The e.p. opens with "Come Around", a poppy, up-tempo tune emblazoned with REM-style back-up vocals: Dania Morales backs singer Brian Salmon with soaring vocals that are unmistakeably indebted to Mike Mills' trademark flourishes behind Michael Stipe.
Perhaps the best track is "I Don't Mind", where Ms. Morales participates more fully in the chorus. Her melodic addition lodges the song in your head.
The e.p. is catchy and well-crafted, lacking the mildly mellow- dramatic stylings of Gin Blossoms. Cellophane Flowers also maintain their pop- rock style without sounding at all imitative of the current wave of British bands. They recall the Beau Brummels' fusion of American folk and Merseybeat more than anything purely English, past or present.
