An album to fan the flames of the rock and roll tradition.
A versatile band like Florry can be many different things, free by acknowledging their debt to iconic groups like The Band or the Rolling Stones (and simultaneously happy to show off their Yo la Tengo and Aimee Mann bumper stickers). So far, they have toured extensively across the US and left their imprint in festival circuits, playing alongside the likes of Kurt Vile and MJ Lenderman.
With their newest album, “Sounds Like…”, Florry continue on their rollicking path with some of their best tracks to date. Bandleader Francie Medosch’s lyrics shine through the messy liveliness, but the album also benefits from rich instrumentation and intertwined textures, with songs that deftly sway between different roots genres. With an atmosphere that’s loose yet energetic, the album’s listening experience is akin to watching a gig in a small, familiar venue not too far from the stage. There are details throughout that renew that live-experience quality, such as the use of multiple backing vocalists, the changing roster of musicians and instruments (you can almost picture them taking turns to fit on stage), or the claps and cheers at the end of the fourth track.
“Sounds Like…” opens with the six-minute track ‘First it was a movie, then it was a book’, fun, rambling, brilliant. A mounting intro takes you to the first verse, of Dylanesque cadences and appealing lyrics. It isn’t until over a minute later that you arrive at the second variation, separated by a prolonged instrumental. These monumental breaks are the song’s true hooks, catchy as anything you’re likely to hear this month, with exciting solos and changes that draw you straight into its groove. Next up is another standout track, ‘Hey Baby’, more straightforward, yet just as memorable. It will have you singing along to words of love and heartache.
The album’s singles, brim-full of ideas and magnetism, should be enough to draw casual listeners to the full LP, which includes many tracks representative of the rock and roll tradition. However, the band finds itself at its best when it experiments with variations in its accustomed sound. It’s when they deviate from their influences and assert their individuality (showing a distinctiveness that is never missing lyrically) that the music really grabs hold of you. After the magnetic power of the first two singles, ‘Dip Myself Like an Ice Cream Cone’ provides a breath of fresh air to break the monotony lurking around the corner. Similar divergences would have been welcome further down the tracklist and might have helped further elevate the album. Nonetheless, “Sounds Like…” remains an exciting album with a number of excellent tracks.
