Having released their debut EP “Woo” earlier this year, Floral Print has been roaming the local circuit, playing house shows and generating buzz. Chances are that local music/indie enthusiasts around Raleigh might have seen or heard of them at some point in recent time, and this is perhaps with good reason.
Floral Print is a small lo-fi math-rock-esque outfit. Every single one of their songs on Spotify is yet to reach even 1,000 listens, and they only have seven songs total. The group is perhaps as indie as it gets, and with an EP like this, that’s true in both senses of the word.
“Woo” is perhaps an ironic title given the mildly melancholy nature of the band’s sound. Using clean, but echo-heavy, sweeping guitars that quickly pace up and down the neck as is typical of math-rock, a sense of nervousness is accomplished. A slight sinking feeling that is both frantic and calm as the guitar fades and then immediately arpeggiates rapidly through the riff, the energy of the EP is given a somber tone by the angst ridden, echoey vocals.
Featuring drawn out delay, heavily processed falsetto harmonic sections and an ample use of vocal sliding from note to note, the vocals are both the weakest and most atmospheric portion of the album. They’re intentionally sloppy, a bit cheesy and yet very fitting at times. While several songs seem as though the vocals were hamfistedly thrown in here and there, overall, the combination of processing effects and interesting mixing make the vocals a rather curious feature. Love or hate them, they’re part of what set Floral Print apart.
Of course, what makes math-rock math-rock is invariably the rhythmic complexity of the guitar and percussion. “Woo” makes sure not to short change this category, with interesting rhythmic songwriting and catchy but not simple guitar sections. Distortion is used sparingly while delay and post-processing are made use of when needed. This decision suits the group stylistically; heavy distortion and high attack would destroy the vibe that “Woo” sells so well. When the guitar and vocals are both at their best, the complement each other perfectly. When they fall apart, the result isn’t so dissatisfying as to be bad, but it’s also not inherently enjoyable. There’s a strange middle ground that the album falls into between good and bad, more fittingly described as odd than forgettable.
Floral Print is riding strongly on several factors with this EP, the utmost of which being charming atmosphere. There are songs that can create that nervous tension mentioned earlier, but there are also songs that create a warm feeling deep inside that’s akin to contentedness. The strangeness of the music review is of course the fact that one’s impressions of an album or EP may be immediately and dramatically different from another person’s, but the strength of a good album is in its ability to make a wide range of listeners feel anything at all, be it one strong feeling or many different feelings.
“Woo” is the kind of album that won’t be for everyone, but a good few people will feel something, and something strong. In a genre as under-burdened as math-rock, new contributions rarely have to stand out to catch on. In the case of Floral Print, you’ll find music that goes the extra mile to create something personal and enjoyable. Perhaps it will stir something in you.
