In 2008, Braids (then under the pseudonym The Neighbourhood Council)
released their debut EP Set Pieces. The five track EP consists of
sketchy guitar progressions and memorable piano accompaniment. Canada's up and
coming four-piece were taking over the music scene. Set Pieces is still
regularly played on my iPod; and the future, even if it was just a distant
dream, looked bright - looked being the operative word. Braids relocated to
Montreal, attended university and planned their debut album. Native Speaker was
met with critical acclaim across all fields - we just couldn’t find negatives.
It ended up being one of 2011s best albums. Native Speaker is a pinnacle
album for the independent scene. Marking the shift from indie rock / synth pop,
to a nurtured dream pop / art rock. Braids found their sound inside one minute
of "Lemonade", swirling delay on the electric guitar, smooth
synthesizer arrangements, and the human voice. It’s the human voice that turned
Bjork in to a superstar, Tim Buckley in to an influence, Thom Yorke in to an
electro maniac. Raphaelle Standell-Preston has been using hers for the same
purposes.
Standell-Preston declared 'electronic' last year, in the interviews leading
up to Flourish // Perish. Braids second album was to be influenced by
Warp recordings and natural electronic components. It was a shock to a handful
of dream pop loving fans (including myself), leading to an opened door, to the
world of electronica. Also, a shock which left Katie Lee without three-friends
and a lucrative Braids-related future. Lee was left outside in the cold as the
trio of Raphaelle Standell-Preston, Austin Tufts, and Taylor Smith took to
recording a near guitar-free follow-up. Native Speaker was built on guitars, so
the reason behind turning electronic needed to be justified. Standell-Preston
has been stating a survival attitude, its do or die in this business. So
styling on Radiohead's Kid A and beyond, Braids embarked on electronica.
It's a bold move that has been under the trio's control since the change in
direction was decided. There’s no record label executive saying no, though the
fans might - either way, it's a metamorphosis that has to be respected.
Canada's hip musicians are opening up their Mac's and making electronic
music as the shallow rave scene of Montreal turns big. Just take a look at
Doldrums' debut album released earlier in the year, a classic modern electronic
album which deserved an 8.5 back in February. No wonder Braids are turning to
the synthesizer, they're all doing it. Flourish // Perish's opening
track "Victoria" sounds like a band in need of a purpose. Timely
synthesizers surround Standell-Preston's twee like vocal, though the opening
track never really hits the big time. She reaches the high notes at times, with
vocal layers creating what can only be described as a Braids chorus. The trio
have never really experimented with the pop formulae, so going all out /
avant-garde with electronics shouldn’t be too much of an issue - it's
not. On many occasions, Flourish // Perish makes a huge impact.
"Freund" could've been plucked from a James Newton Howard film score.
Braids have created a spectacular album, taking out the guitar, but at the same
time, keeping all the trickling reverb and delay right there at the
heart.
You can take the dream pop out of the band, but you can't take the band out of dream pop. Sticking to their roots, Braids bravely progress their careers by turning to keys rather than strings. They've looked at modern music and aimed to the future. Flourish // Perish is essentially an album made for future generations. In 30 years’ time, will people think Braids are timeless, or whatever indie rock band is knocking around in the year 2043? Braids of course. The developing digital age is growing and will grow for many years to come. This only influences artists to put down the guitar. Braids are a product of technological development. The electronic music of the 90s has played a gigantic role in the creation of Flourish // Perish. Analogue electronic instruments have been used for years by artists like Jean Michel Jarre, Vangelis, and Mike Oldfield. Legends in today's world, but pioneers in the days of Moog. Braids see this and replicate the analogue sounds of vintage electronica. When combined with the human touch, the human voice, the outcome can be quite exciting.
Flourish // Perish has been crafted to fit an idea. Braids didn't set
out to create an electronic album, no. They wanted to produce a stripped back
sophomore that looks to the future rather than the past. This concept of
fundamental features was laid out for all to hear on the pre-release single
"Amends". Sounding like a James Blake / Vondelpark remix,
"Amends" pushes Standell-Preston's vocal to the limit. They ask
themselves, what can we get out of a voice? The answer is for all to hear on
the final three minutes of "Amends". Layered vocals reaching the
highs, hitting the lows. And while Standell-Preston sings, all the primitive
synthesizers are cautiously increasing in volume. "Amends", just like
most of Flourish // Perish is organic right down to Tufts'
percussion.
Standell-Preston covers the strange and wonderful world of pizza on
"Hossak". She elegantly sings about: "a slice of
pizza," sounding like Beth Gibbons of Portishead.
"Hossak" is indeed a reference to one of Braids' many Canadian
influences - Azeda Booth. Flourish // Perish has a tendency to grow, as
the listens start packing up. Initially, the essence of Braids' past takes
centre stage in a worrying listen that confuses, yet opens the mind. With
continued listens, Flourish // Perish relishes in progressive glory. You
begin to notice the little synthesized features clearly. The structures
are not estranged from Native Speaker. "Together" is the
ultimate build-up track, highlighting the bass synthesizer at the end. On the
other hand, "Girl", the voluptuous fifth track, shimmers with
experimentation. Odd ball synthesizers and white noise takes the listener by
surprise. Long progressions are built-in to Braids' history, and they’re not
going to let go of their prog-passion.
Flourish // Perish actually possesses a finishing track with guitars. It puts
the listener under an eight minute spell of Standell-Preston's vocal
refrains. "In Kind" has been floating around since
2011. Its Native Speaker feel mixes smoothly with Braids' new sound.
Drummer Tufts absolutely rocks it on this track, his punctual percussion is
math rock-esque. Standell-Preston continues her groan and moans on "In
Kind". The vocal screeching and sudden shouts are welcomed, I’m sure the
hardcore Braids fans agree. Flourish // Perish is all about being
accepted by the Braids faithful. Without their approval, then the change of
direction, their musical influence and creative differences all mean nothing.
If they can't deliver on the album front then there’s no point changing. As a
keen listener of Braids, I can safely say that album number two has been successful.
When listening to Flourish // Perish, I’m not wondering what Braids
would have sounded like if it was Native Speaker mark two. Yes, they've
moved away from guitars, but now the world is their oyster. They can do
whatever they want, and by the sound of it, this Canadian trio have a big
future ahead of them.
~Eddie
8.1