Echo and the Bunnymen have wrapped recording sessions for a new eleven-song studio album titled Flowers. Scheduled for a U.K. release on April 30th through Scottish independent label Cooking Vinyl -- with U.S. label details to follow soon -- the set is described by founding guitarist Will Sergeant as "a very guitar-based record." Sergeant even went so far as to compare it with the band's 1980 debut LP Crocodiles.

"The tunes are pure Bunnymen, ranging from the darkest nightmares to jangly guitar pop," Sergeant claims. The disc's instrumental tracks were recorded in January at the Dairy in Brixton, London, and Ian McCulloch's vocals were laid to tape at Bryn Derwen Studio in Bethesda, North Wales. Describing Mac's performance as "timeless," the guitarist opines that the forthcoming material "sounds fantastic" and is "the best stuff we have come up with in years."

Produced by Sergeant and McCulloch with Pete "Peewee" Coleman, who first worked with the band on their 1987 Doors ' cover/Ray Manzarek collaboration "People Are Strange," Flowers is a return to form following 1999's predominantly acoustic, orchestra-assisted What Are You Going to Do With Your Life?.

Having parted with London Records last year and now under new management, the Bunnymen plan to test the material in a live setting by playing the University of London next month. The date marks the bands first concert performance in fifteen months. A proper U.K. tour gets underway in mid-May, but no U.S. dates have been set.

In related news, McCulloch inked a solo deal with U.K. label Jeepster -- home to acclaimed acts like Belle and Sebastian and Snow Patrol -- late last month. Already hard at work on that project, Mac has been writing songs with Bobby Bluebell, the creative force behind the Eighties Scottish pop band the Bluebells. Fun Lovin' Criminals, Courtney Love and Natalie Imbruglia are all slated to appear on the record, tentatively set for a September release. David Bowie -- a close friend of McCulloch's -- has also been tipped as a possible collaborator.

The complete track listing for Flowers:

King of Kings
Supermellow Man
Hide & Seek
Make Me Shine
It's Alright
Buried Alive
Flowers
Everybody Knows
Life Goes On
An Eternity Turns
Burn for Me

JOHN D. LUERSSEN
(February 17, 2001)