If you’ve been eagerly awaiting the chance to dive into the new flor album, you’re not alone. ley lines, the band’s sophomore effort, is a glorious evolution from their 2017 debut, come out. you’re hiding. One thing’s for sure: if you’re not ‘dancing around’ by the end of track five, check your pulse.
flor has a way of turning something dark into a colorful positive. Album opener “white noise” speaks to introverts and the love skeptics alike as singer Zach Grace laments the need to hide away while berating oneself in the process – “I never thought you’d find me where I hide/ I’m such a lonely host/keep you in view, let you close then I’ll choke.”
“as you were” is an ode to anxiety and the indicators of what it can do to a person. “I knew you when your stars were shining, still I will keep you there as you were” – a comforting realization for those suffering that your demons don’t define you, and the person you were before the darkness crept in is still in there. If you’re lucky, you’ll find that one special person who will love you as you were and still are.
Lead single, “slow motion,” takes us right back to the beginning of this new era while human connection anthem “ley lines” and “dancing around” only further prove how the band has matured their sound since the heydays of “heart” and “warm blood.”
“listen for you” is short but sweet, taking on a Death Cab vibe while having the ability to miss a significant other/loved one while “little light one” is the beating heart of the entire album. With it’s underlying message of finding your way through the burn out and changes – something we’ve been dealing with for a long while – “little light one” is the hope we’ve all been searching for as we rest our bones and minds.
The story continues in “aiming low,” taking the notion of burn out and confusion to an all-too-relatable level while “money” is a telling commentary how common sense often goes out the window once money is involved; a possible observation of our current political and social climate that is very much appreciated.
“underpass” is by far the most energetic track on the album and is going to be insane to hear live on the band’s upcoming tour. An anthem of pushing the doubtful voices and cynics away, “underpass” gives listeners their power back while reminding us that all we have done and all we want to achieve matters. It’s still possible…but first, you gotta push all those voices away, whether internal or external – or those lurking behind a screen. Yup, especially those.
Things come full circle in “never was mine,” as I’m reminded of how I first found solace in flor four years ago as my entire world and everything I thought I knew fell apart right in front of me. “Loving’s hard enough for me, but it’s so much harder when it never was mine” – a chilling reminder of all I have conquered and all I have gained within the past few years, but most of all, this track is the closure I’ve been looking for as I finally close that chapter with no regrets.
Album closer, “moonday,” is a synthy, cinematic anthem of new beginnings, clarity, newfound freedom, and of course, that good ol’ flor magic that makes this band so unlike any of the others out there. Reminding us that “love is free” and not to let anyone tell you otherwise, “moonday” is that glimmer of hope that has been building throughout the entire record, but we never expected anything less from them; something we think all flor fans will agree on.
as you were.
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ley lines is available now here.
