It was by pure coincidence that I found out that Ether Aura had put their name and dreampop sound on the shelf and started afresh as The Blueflowers. Upon first hearing the news I was disappointed – I loved Ether Aura’s albums Crash (2005) and Before We Could Sing (2007) after all. But once I gave The Blueflowers a listen I found myself enthralled by them all over again. Some shoegaze fans haven’t been all positive concerning the band’s new direction, but I find the dark blend of folk, Americana and indie pop to suit them really well. Their music still has a dreamy tint to it, only now one that brings David Lynch and spaghetti westerns to mind rather than swirly dreamscapes.

While creative differences were cited as a partial reason behind Ether Aura’s demise, its founders Tony Hamera and Kate Hinote decided to look towards the future instead of the past, leading to the creation of The Blueflowers at the beginning of 2009. Besides guitarist Hamera and vocalist Hinote, the band also consists of Drummer Marvin Shaouni, bassist Erica Stephens and David Johnson on acoustic guitar.

Their debut album Watercolor Ghost Town was released a few months ago and is a stunning tale of love, life and heartbreak. The more down to earth sound brings out the best of Hinote’s soft voice, anchoring it against the old western-like guitars and 1950’s ballad melodies. Parts of the shoegaze community may still be in mourning, but thanks to this album I can honestly say that I’m not one of them. This is an absolute gem.

~ “I Can’t Stop My Heart From Breaking” ~