Flowers – Everybody’s Dying To Meet You
Second album from the London-based trio turns its nose up at the kind of unthinking labelling usually reserved for anyone in possession of a pair of DMs and chiming, overdriven guitars. Oops. Guilty as charged. Only, not. Everybody’s Dying To Meet You takes its cue from the smarter elements of C86 and its propulsive energy sets it apart. But, as their debut suggested and this follow-up confirms, Flowers‘ savvy presentation is only half the story. Aside this grounding, here’s a set of songs that really sings. EDTMY clocks in at a trim 30 minutes: perfect. Ten songs, no filler and it’s this sharpening up of their song craft that adds intrigue.
Don’t expect huge departures. The opening ‘Pull My Arm’ and ‘Bitter Pill’ are beautiful but dutiful, Sam Ayres’ ringing guitar and Rachel Kenedy’s substantial soprano colouring savvy quiet-loud dynamics and understated melodics. Go deeper and the smarter stuff lies in wait. ‘Tammy’ erupts like Spacemen 3’s ‘Revolution’. ‘Russian Doll’ is Flowers at their most playful with a hushed intro, a wash of synth and Kennedy dropping down an octave to spectacular effect. It’s actually a shame she doesn’t do this more – her lower register is a wonder.
If their reference points are too easily pre-empted, Flowers have accomplished enough here to side-step the limitations and potential pitfalls. Ayres, certainly, deserves credit for some genuinely stirring playing and a clutch of sweet progressions. Catch their live show, where their modest performance mode lets the songs catch fire. As accomplished acts such as Desperate Journalist and Allo Darlin’ reinvigorate classic indie pop mores beyond the limits of the originals, Flowers confirm that knowing your history this well always pays off.