If you’re looking for some good time Rock and Roll that takes it all back to the concept of ‘having a good time’ then The Aviators mix of The Faces, The Stones, Georgia Satellites, Black Crowes and others will surely hit the spot.
Opening track and title track ‘Flowers and Moonshine’ has that back to basics swagger that is both timeless and inescapable, there’s a good time vibe, plenty of slide guitar and a real sense of joy that rock and roll doesn’t have to be over complicated. Music surely is all about setting yourself free in the moment and sharing good times with those you love.
The Good Times continue to roll for the wild, almost sleazy, rock and roll of ‘Going Down Swinging’ which adds a few Southern notes to its bluesy groove; but it’s ‘Goodbye to the Rain’ that we featured on our Heaven and Hell podcast that really grabs you and mixes it up, adding an almost vintage Whitesnake meets The Black Crowes vibe to the already heady mix. If you didn’t know these guys were from Bakersfield CA you’d swear they were from London or the Deep South.
The album keeps on giving though: ‘Time’ pulls out the hardest riff so far and is lavished with dark blues guitar, ‘One Last Cigarette’ is warmer and stomps out the beat with purpose; whilst ‘Set It Off’ puts the foot to the floor and shoots off for the sunset.
‘Blind’ that follows keeps on rocking and busts out a huge groove that just soars away, and penultimate track ‘Destroyer’ kicks off with a rumbling bass and thorny guitar giving a hard rock edge to a lyric that’s very Blues-based. It’s a song that comes across as a heavy-ass take on Bad Co.
That leaves just ‘The Grim Reaper,’ a title that sounds very final, to close off the album. It’s a track that leads us out with an almost ‘Sonic Temple’ era Cult sound. All rock, no filler, no slow numbers. Nice. If you’re looking for an album full of energy and a good time vibe that gives a nod to the legends of the past, then this should definitely be on your radar.
8/10
Flowers and Moonshine is the fourth offering from The Aviators, and is a body of work that authentically reflects 10 years of blood, sweat, and beers–a mature effort which showcases both their individual strengths and collective prowess, none more evident than on the single “Goodbye To The Rain”.