Flamingo's self-titled debut CD is big on the same kind of sun-drenched, southern jangle pop popularized by
Let's Active,
the dB's,
Big Star, and latter-period
Teenage Fanclub. It's the more laid-back, "it's too hot to rock" sensibility in the music of those bands that rules here, and that'll determine how much a fan will enjoy this album. Despite that, Flamingo have got the formula right, their sound is less direct, their hooks less forceful, and the performances slightly more homespun, so listeners will likely either find their sound to be unpolished or lovingly familiar. Despite the fact that most power pop sounds made for the radio, most of this album does not; it sounds as though it's been crafted by fans of jangle pop, for fans of jangle pop. So for those who thought three
Big Star albums weren't enough, or those who have an insatiable addiction to Rickenbacker guitars, this one's for you.