All the Flowers Growing In Your Mother's Eyes

Arriving in the heyday of the alternative revolution, the Throes' astonishing debut, All the Flowers Growing in Your Mother's Eyes, captured the innocence and idealism of that singular movement. Driven by the songwriting prowess of Bill Campbell and Harold Evans, the Throes create dour, moody pop akin to the Smiths and R.E.M.. Songs are built around Campbell's sparkling guitar and driven forward by Evans' idiosyncratic percussion. Where most college rock bands flounder amidst pretentious lyrics and too-light music, the Throes convey their often-poetic sentiments adroitly. "This Love Is an Ocean" churns and rolls, moving slowly forward while "Passion Flower" is up-tempo and colored by sadness. Even the sweaty, punkish rave-up "Skin Kings" is propelled by a sentiment of self-loathing and disgust. All the Flowers Growing in Your Mother's Eyes works because it stays open and airy and buoyant despite these weighty confessions. The record is charged with the unmistakable energy of possibility, the sound of a young band who still believes they can change the world. ~ J. Edward Keyes, Rovi