clearflowers music

I have not been able to stop listening to Bodies , the eleventh studio album by AFI since this album belatedly showed up on my radar.  I have  personally connected to it.  It expressed feelings I had not been able to process into emotions,  provided me with inspiration, and made me want to dance thus, making it my favorite album of 2021.  Lyrically, singer/songwriter Davey Havok's ability to write from a deeply personal emotional space paints a mise en scene,  the use of smart turns of phrases, and an uncanny way of forming synesthesia through words is a unique skill not too many songwriters can accomplish.   Bodies  is brilliantly produced by guitarist Jade Puget, who strategically layers harmonies and melodies by arranging synth, drum machines, and background vox to fill in, and complement the different elements of AFI . He makes a lot of smart decisions as a producer and it is exciting to listen to anything Jade produces because he lets elements stand out at the right moment a

Image via Stereogum The highly anticipated debut album by the R&B project of super duo Bruno Mars and Anderson. Paak,  An Evening with  Silk Sonic, which was supposed to have come out in January, did not disappoint and it keeps its promise of being a smooth and hi-fi experience.  While Mars & Paak ,  are talented in their own right and individual careers, have a mastery on what they are doing conceptually, the album is given credibility by special guest co-host, Bootsie Collins is like icing on the cake.  There is something about releasing a throwback retro-soul album in the fall that just hits the right spot, it is definitely going to be the sountrack of cuffing season.  It is deep and rich with so many grooves and harmonies between Mars & Paak, who both have embraced the seventies aesthetic to keep the showmanship going in music. I love it when artists are extra and embody the music they are singing down to the clothes-which is why they are the whole package!   Silk Soni

       I decided to get a look at what new music will be coming out this Friday and to get a head start on writing.  I do take my time listening and breaking down an album to review, but I also do not have access to promo copies or advance copies of the album to review before the release date.  I wanted to get an idea of what each album sounds like, and most of the releases were not piquing my interest until I listened to Curtis Harding .  His third album, If Words Were Flowers is set to come out tomorrow, so I decided to listen to the single "Explore" which has five songs that are already available on Spotify .      It is a raw neo-soul that experiments with many different sounds. "Explore" is a groovy song with a consistent funky beat and a very sexy vibe with tinges of psychedelia.    "Can't Hide It" has an intro drum tempo that reminds me of Curtis Mayfield's Superfly, and the chorus is an interpolation of "Can't Help Myself" by t

Mastodon 's eighth studio album Hushed and Grim is an epic exploration of loss.  It has been four years since 2017's Emperor of Sand.   After the last couple of years of death, and grief the band has released on this double album is a testament to their emotional maturity to use music as a vehicle to explore personal loss, and the complex process of mourning and grief.  This album explores the impact of their loss of late manager, Nick John, who passed away in 2018.  It is a vulnerability most bands do not wield in their arsenal, but Mastodon have a history of processing personal experiences to inspire the content of their work.  The album was produced and mixed by David Botrill, known for producing Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, Tool, and many more. I will admit, I have not been into Mastodon since Blood Mountain and Leviathan , I found their albums since then just not vibing with me, they also did not grab my attention as Hushed and Grim has.  It is a long album, and I have b

As I was just trying to go to bed after posting my Duran Duran review, Jade Puget (AFI/Blaqk Audio/XTRMST) posted his new project Twinsign with his friend named Shaina Broadstone doing vocals. If you are not familiar with Jade Puget's talent as a producer then I hope that this EP shows you the versatility of his style.  I have been an on/off fan of AFI, not all their albums piqued my interest, but when it comes to Blaqk Audio, I am a total STAN.  Jade is great producer and can arrange melodies and accentuate songs at the right moments.   This album is not like any of this other projects, the guitar is present but restrained in the back to feature and compliment the soft and airy vocals of Shaina Broadstone, who in the first song "Benjamin" invites you to join her to reminisce about a boy, her memories about their childhood and what became of this person in adulthood.  The rhythm consists of simple beats arranged on a drum machine, but melody master Jade uses his acoustic

I have been a Duran Duran fan since I got the cassingle of "Ordinary World" when I was twelve.  I have come to expect great melodies, synth, bass heavy songs, and of course those distinctive vocals and harmonies.  Duran Duran are one of my favorite New Wave eighties acts that defined the British boy-band aesthetic. They are also prolific hit makers: giving music some of the best hooks, such as "Notorious" which rapper Biggie Smalls infamously took as his moniker and sampled in "Notorious B.I.G".  Dance floor favorites "Hungry Like the Wolf", "Rio", "The Reflex" and "Girls on Film" are examples of their lasting impact on music.  Their last release Paper Gods in 2015, featuring an amazing track with Janelle Mon á e and Nile Rodgers entitled "Pressure Off". First, let me get the petty annoyances out of the way, all the tracks and title are in ALL CAPS! In this age of internet sub context, my first thought is

 I will be starting off my music writing again by returning to album reviews.  I have always liked listening to new music and sharing my opinion, since the Rasputin Manifesto days, I hope I have grown as a writer and since then.  Back in the days when I used to work at the record store, new music used to come out on Tuesdays.  These days, and for a while now it has been Fridays, which gives me a couple days to give you a review of the album from this past week (if any) was worthy of reviewing.  I will be sticking to genres and artists that I like with an open mind for new and exciting artists and albums that are making an impact. I tend to like pop and post punk music, with a penchant towards the more dark and electronic influences: industrial, experimental, future-pop, dark wave/cold wave, new wave reprints, etc.  I am hearing a lot of good music these days and through my Spotify account I can check out bands and really get into their new material when it is released. Follow me on Twi