Review: ‘Treasure of Love’ – The Flatlanders

Revered Texas songwriters Joe Ely, Jimmy Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock team up again to release the first Flatlanders record in 12 years. Treasure of Love features songs that the trio began writing a number of years ago but the pandemic forced them off the road with their solo projects and gave them time to focus on finishing the record. It opens with Moanin’ of the Midnight Train which features a heavily distorted guitar which perfectly emulates the lyric ‘When I hear the moaning of the midnight train, reminds me so much of you’. To counteract this southern rock start Long Time Gone has a classic country feel to it with the togetherness of the vocals, the pedal steel and walking bass. I like the yodelling sound they give to the phrase ‘when I leave’. It reminds me of Hank Williams or Slim Whitman in some ways. Meanwhile, songs like Mama Do The Kangaroo have a Rock n Roll feel to them. The album as a whole has enough similarities to make it sound cohesive whilst having enough variation to showcase the full extent of their abilities as musicians and songwriters. There is something for everyone on this record.