New This Week: The ‘Spring Forward’ EP from Florence Road

Florence Road consists of lead singer and guitarist Lily Aron, guitarist Emma Brandon, bassist, Ailbhe Barry, and drummer Hannah Kelly

Hailing from Wicklow Ireland, Florence Road has made quite the splash in the indie scene. Their debut mixtape was highly anticipated and they have made pandora's list of 'Ten Artists to Watch'. Now since acting as the openers for 'The Last Dinner Party's tour, they have seen an increasing number of eyes watchign and waiting to see what is to come from this group.

In the form of another EP (the group's second), 'Spring Forward' is the concise, hard-hitting collection we needed to confirm their talent. While not an album, as many fans are surely hoping for, these four tracks provide enough to hold us over until that eventual day.

In a colossally wide wall of sound and raw energy, ‘Hanging Out to Dry’ jumpstarts the band’s second EP in two years. Climbing into the stratosphere with an unequaled energy, the track results in a screaming peak with lead singer Lily Aron exerting an impressive range. This track, though, is nothing without the riff present in the pre-chorus, placing an instant earworm in an otherwise straightforward and slow-burning song, a staple of Florence Road on this EP.

Slowing down (if only for a second), ‘Miss’ starts with some ambiance followed by what you’d hear from any songwriter session, a simple acoustic vocal pairing with only the slightest preview of the shoegazey goodness that is soon to follow. As the orchestra and additional instrumentation swell in, so do the airy, emotional, and wispy vocals. Yet again, Florence settles into an absolutely infectious pocket right before unleashing full energy in a smashing chorus. My only gripe is that they so often introduce these hooks without playing them as long as I could listen to them!

‘Rabbits Can Swim’ (and yes, they can in fact) is the single released ahead of this EP, which once again brings us down to earth with an onslaught of beautiful harmonies and piano ballad. As the lines crescendo and introduce more and more chamber-pop- inspired percussion and orchestration, you nearly expect one last time for it all to come crashing down all at once, as has been done with the two previous tracks. But ‘Rabbits Can Swim’ defies that and remains solid in its intentions to beautifully close out as quietly as it started.

‘Storm Warnings’, with its constantly evolving and complex guitar arps, is reminiscent of a Kansas track through and through. As dramatic as its title, “Storm Warnings’ was surely inspired by the heavier, more operatic side of rock, but somehow doesn’t feel too out of place on this EP despite being sequenced directly after ‘Rabbits Can Swim’

Because of touring with ‘The Last Dinner Party’, the comparison between the two groups is often made. There are surely similarities, especially in the chamber-pop influences and vocals, yet a more apt comparison may be to alternative groups with a shoegaze influence, such as ‘She’s Green’. Be sure to check out Florence Road as they are just starting out and yet have so much potential already! Stay tuned for an eventual album review down the road…

Listen to Florence Road on Spotify and Apple Music. And be sure to check out their website/store here as well as seeing their tour dates (they are on the road as we speak!) Thanks for reading!