Chris Livesay and Loud Flowers - Chris Livesay and Loud Flowers (2024)

Having enjoyed Seattle singer, guitarist, and pianist Livesay’s five-piece The Civilians, especially 2022 third LP Lush and Tumble — whose soulful ballad “Harder Than the Truth” even featured Elvis Costello’s Attractions/Imposters keyboardist and fan Steve Nieve on piano! — it’s not surprising to find his new outfit with drummer Chuck Wood (and Love Battery/Alcohol Funnycar bassist Tommy Simpson, who joined after the album’s recording) equally palatable, even if his now-on-hiatus other band’s layered, three-guitar sound has been replaced by a grittier, harder-rocking attack. Livesay’s fervid vocals still recall Ed Kuepper on the tenacious “Jewel in the Lotus” and bitter “My Irish Goodbye,” while he adopts a throaty Bruce Springsteen growl on the thumping “Fever Dream” and a Mark Eitzel croon on the waltz-like yarn “Vincent Van Dog.”

His words also intrigue: the piano and horn (the latter played by producer Don Farwell, with an “idea/melody” credit to Greg Williamson) folk shanty “Aweigh,” Motörhead-evoking “Empty Suit,” and Big Star “In the Street”-tinted “There’s Nothing You Can Do About Love” are biting looks at ideological self-doubt, cold-hearted executives, and MAGA bullying culture. On the more personal side, “I Can’t Wait For You to Come Around” and “French Girl From New York” — both featuring beguiling backing vocals from Tamara Burgess and Tenny Priebe — find Livesay’s stances respectively exasperated and empathetic when dealing with a struggling loved one.