The long grey macs were last seen some 16 years ago but Echo And The Bunnymen have taken the unusual step of returning to the spirit of their first album, 'Crocodiles' and it's attendant post-punk psychedelia. It's certainly a decent enough stab at recapturing their old form but lacks a sense of excitement or tension as if the group are going through the motions. That's not to say 'Flowers' is bad per se, Will Sergeant's guitar throws the requisite psychedelic shapes and Ian McCullloch sounds as doleful as ever ( a cynic would say disinterested) but the fact remains that The Bunnymen haven't made a great record since the orchestral/indie crossover excellence of 'Ocean Rain' way back in 1984. It's only right at the end of 'Flowers' that we hear hints of that with the string-aided 'Burn For Me'. Nevertheless this record is an inessential release and for devoted fans only, perhaps they should seek out those macs again.