“One of the best releases you’ll hear in 2007.” - NotLame.com Dipping into The Ditchflowers' new CD, Carried Away, is like wandering into a rambling curiosity shop and stumbling out 45 minutes later wondering where the time went. In the tradition of mid to late period Beatles albums, Carried Away embraces eclecticism in its finest sense. From art-pop to rootsy romps to contemplative folk mini-epics, this timeless collection of songs surprises and delights at every stylistic turn. Try “Home Away From Home” (Track 2), a mood-shifting funhouse of tuneful hooks and existential angst; “Boys” (Track 8), a sweetly elegaic, McCartney-esque ode to the joys and trials of a lifelong friendship; “My Next Life” (Track 1), the album’s “exquisite jangle-pop opener” (Creative Loafing); or bask in the sweeping cinematic glow of “Spend My Life” (Track 12). Wherever you ‘drop the needle,’ on the new Ditchflowers CD, you’ll find yourself ‘carried away.’ Led by partners Brian Merrill and Ed Woltil, The Tampa-based Ditchflowers combine melodic sophistication with a power pop punch to showcase rare emotional and stylistic versatility. Former frontman of Big Deal recording artists Barely Pink, Merrill fuses craft and showmanship with thick, chewy, pop-rock goodness. Tough yet tuneful, The Pink were the go-to band for high-profile opening slots for the likes of Cheap Trick and The Smithereens. Brian’s music has been featured in broadcasts by such diverse outlets as the XGames on ESPN, the Disney Channel and the Tokyo Broadcasting System. Brian’s been in show biz since he was chosen at age 11 to back up The Carpenters with a choir of other overrated sixth graders. Award-winning songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ed Woltil channels inspired melodicism and riveting musicianship. Whether leading Tampa Bay power pop savants, Mad For Electra, or playing rhythm guitar with Florida’s legendary Headlights (Roger McGuinn’s one-time backing band), Woltil has charmed audiences and critics alike. Power pop maven Jordan Oakes (Yellow Pills) wrote that “in Woltil’s songs, everything comes together - like in a magician’s rope trick.” Solo or with MFE, Woltil has opened shows for Richard Thompson, Marshall Crenshaw, Alex Chilton, Chris Isaak and Procol Harum. Woltil’s “Boys,” one of Carried Away’s twelve gems, has already garnered national attention as a Finalist in the Folk category of the 2006 John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Session 1.