From the vault: No-Man - Flowermouth


NO-MAN
FLOWERMOUTH (1994)
(One Little Indian Records TPLP67CD)

With Flowermouth No-Man delivers their first full CD, showing they’re still alive. With the signing of a contract to a large recordcompany, there was time and money enough for a full album, which in spite of the multi-instrumental talents of Steven Wilson contains a list of well-known guest musicians.

Since Steven Wilson played as a guest role on their CD Beginning To Melt, Steve Jansen and Richard Barbieri (also a member of Porcupine Tree) are both involved. Robert Fripp and Mel Collins are well represented. The final result contains a clearly stamp of Fripp, who makes use of his flippertronics.

Vocalist Tim Bowness sounds like Marc Almond, but keeps its vocals too monotonous. So the real fire work needs to come from Steven Wilson and the guest musicians.

Especially notable is the link of balance the band has created from their equivocal past. He who knows No-Man specifically from the Exposure albums (then working under the name No Is An Island Except For The Isle Of Man) has in mind a rather heavy percussion orientated band, whereas the later work moves more into the new age territories.

With Flowermouth the group has bounded these extremes, which sometimes ends in progressive dance-rock. With regard to mood the album refers to Camel’s Dust and Dreams. I say especially with regard to mood, because musically No-Man sounds more like a crossover of Japan and Talk Talk.

Tracks:

Angel Gets Caught In The Beauty Trap
You Grow More Beautiful
Animal Ghost
Soft Shoulder
Shell Of A Fighter
Teardrop Fall
Watching Over Me
Simple
Things Change

Notes:
* This review comes from 1994 and was first published in SI Magazine
* In September 1999 the album was re-released as a remastered & partially remixed version (3rd Stone)
* In Mai 2005 re-issued with bonus tracks Angeldust & Born Simple (Snapper/Kscope)
* Both bonus tracks first released on Flowermix (Hidden Art/Resurgence) from 1995

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