Album Mini-review: Buttercup — Battle of Flowers
File next to: Sugar, Crowded House
With a name like Buttercup – not to mention album art scattered with flowers – one might expect Battle of Flowers to be a collection of winsome, treacly pop. Alas, no: slashing electric guitars abound here. The melodies are rooted in pop convention, and every song has a strong hook, and there’s an anthemic quality to some of the group’s songwriting. Clever arrangement details are employed: “Gud Girls” shifts between minimalist, almost all-vocals sections and a twitchy, new wave rave. Shade and light is a big part of the Buttercup approach: one moment “How to Think More About Sex” finds the singer shouting aggressively about wanting a tender touch; the next, a vocal chorus plaintively asks “why don’t you love me any more?” The group’s sense of humor comes through on “Open On/Shut Off,” which conjures thoughts of Stewart (Police) Copeland’s Klark Kent persona.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, will be published in December 2021 by HoZac Books.