A Song For Friday: Florist

On the sublime, complex Jellywish, Florist comes closer to the infinite. Also, new releases from Siska, Sleigh Bells, and Anika.

In 2022, in my review of Florist’s self-titled eighth release, I remarked that the double album “presents everything these musicians can do at the pinnacle of artistic success.” It also landed at the pinnacle of my Top 25 and further endeared this band, which I discovered in 2016 when they opened for Mutual Benefit, to me as an all-time favorite.

Today, we have been gifted with Jellywish, another sublime album that seems to come even closer to touching the infinite. Each of the ten perfect songs presented here creates its own impossibly light and tiny universe, with acoustic guitars (Jonnie Baker), bass, organ (both Rick Spataro), and drums (Felix Walworth) wrapping themselves around the airy yet conversational soprano of Emily Sprague.

“It’s a gentle delivery of something that is really chaotic, confusing, and multifaceted.” - Emily Sprague

All the songs will reward your patient attention, gradually revealing more riches with each listen. Why not start with All The Same Light, which begins side two on the LP? After a moment of studio silence, a brave yet melancholy strummed guitar starts the song, with ethereal organ and guitar providing additional atmosphere. Sprague begins singing and the music begins to swell ever so gently. Sprague stops singing and the music continues, some nervous guitar increasing the intensity ever so slightly. When the vocals return, they’re joined by the drums, and after the verse, layers of guitars, each one with an individual waveform fingerprint. Everything works together so organically that it feels more like the expansion of flora rather than a series of decisions made by a group of especially big-brained, bipedal fauna. The band is called Florist, after all. Here’s the song.

Not surprisingly, the lyrics are densely poetic and allusive, often asking questions are likely not supposed to have answers.

a photograph of the highway
and the desert sky
you found the moon tonight
separate lives all the same light
so what does it mean to dream of a car crash?
can you feel the side of the eye that looks back? it’s funny that the start is what shows us to the end and the end is all i know
a photograph i will never know
arizona i go there and keep going
sunrise in la
i wonder which direction does your bedroom face
can you feel the side of the eye that looks back? it’s funny that the start is what shows us to the end and the end is all i am

If you’re not yet a Florist fan, there’s no better place to start than right here. If you want to treat yourself further, catch them in concert. They’re touring the US, Europe, and the UK through the end of August. They are always extraordinary in concert and I’m hoping to experience them again on May 31st at the Bowery Ballroom.

Hear most of the songs for Friday here or below.

Also Out This Week

Sleigh Bells - Bunky Becky Birthday Boy The Brooklyn duo of vocalist Alexis Krauss and guitarist/producer Derek E. Miller is clearly not sweating the legacy of their classic 2010 debut, so why should you? This is just plain fun, with big beats, soaring guitars, shiny melodies, and an energy I would call bratty if that whole other beat thing hadn’t happened. Quit worrying and learn to love these machine-tooled modules of pleasure. P.S. Their 2021 album, Texis, was also “highly enjoyable.”

Siska - Holdin’ The Vibe This Marseilles-based chanteuse has a legacy of trip-hop and neo-soul projects going back at least 15 years, which I just learned about from her Bandcamp page. But this fell into my lap via the auspices of Prince Fatty, the British reggae producer who helped establish Hollie Cook as the reigning queen of “tropical pop.” Along with fellow producers Taggy Matcher and Karigan, his work here will more than fill in the gap while we await Cook’s next serving of heavenly song. Siska mixes things up a bit, too, adding some African vibes and collaborations with French compatriot Pat Kalla and lover’s rock specialist Shneice McMenamin. The great toaster Horseman also shows up, lending the particular delight familiar from the songs he did with Cook on her debut. As spring heats up, Siska has you covered for picnics, backyard BBQs, or happy hour in the home office.

Anika - Abyss If 2021’s Change “combined the hauteur of Nico with the distracted pathos of Joy Division,” Anika’s third album stakes an even more original sonic claim, with guitars that slice, bass that pulses, and drums that clatter. The sound is so dry and physical as to be instantly indelible and much kudos due to the band that recorded these songs live in the studio: Andrea Belfi on drums, Tomas Nochteff on bass, and Lawrence Goodwin on guitar. Martin Thulin, Anika’s partner in Exploded View, also helped shape the sound. But the vision is Anika’s and anywhere she turns her laser view is scorched to ash - even herself, as on Walk Away: “The truth is I don’t really like myself/ And the truth is I don’t really like anyone else… Sometimes I know, life can just suck… And the truth is, I’d rather you just go to hell… And the truth is, I’d rather the whole world did as well.” I like you, Anika, and I’m sure anyone else who hears this terrific - and often amusingly pissed-off - album will agree.

Note: The graphic above is based on a photo by V Haddad who also painted the lovely cover for Jellywish.