It’s hard to classify The Cellophane Flowers. A bit indie
and a bit pop, their quirky sound has a dark streak running through it; a dirty
underside to the shiny, jangly guitars it flaunts so happily on the surface. Staring at the World, the London four-piece’s
debut long player, is an enigmatic album: it’s a little unhinged, and from that
unpredictability stems excitement and wonder. Melodic guitar lines and unexpected harmonica
riffs are blended with pulsing drums and often-bleak synth-scapes to create a
wonderfully eclectic, but altogether coherent, sound.
Opener Voices
is atmospheric and foreboding: a big chorus nestles amongst the stripped back
verses, Carradini’s voice intertwining with the guitars over waves of synth.
It’s an engaging first track, which draws you into the album from the off. As
the album continues, the drama increases: The
Promise’s driving swagger counteracted by the 60s pop of Pendulum Eyes, the gentle Tears of a Clown offset by the raucous Time. Final track In A Hole is a tender goodbye, and a fitting send-off for the
album: short and perfectly formed, its gorgeous layers of synth and delicate
fingerpicked guitars maintain that air of mystery right to the very last note.
Throughout the album, lead singer Francesca Carradini’s
vocals are strong and distinctive. It would be easy to compare them to the
likes of Kyla La Grange or The Jezabels’ Hayley Mary, but there’s something a
bit different here; a fragility buried deep within the power that seeps out and
permeates each and every song.
It’s no secret to any listener that The Cellophane
Flowers wear their influences on their sleeves: hints of The Cure and Siousxie
and the Banshees can be found sprinkled throughout each track. No song on the
album, however, feels derivative; rather, they come across as a fresh look at a
much-loved genre.
Staring at the
World, then, is a blissfully enjoyable record: one that seems written to be
listened to on a bleak, frosty winter morning, and one that is sure to soon be
a welcome addition to many record collections around the country.
Staring at the World by The Cellophane
Flowers is out on the 3rd of December and is available only as a
download.
ES
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