Words: Ryan Getz
I’m not a crier. I am a sensitive guy though. Props to Fleurie for giving the most intense case of the feels from music I’ve had in awhile. More on that in a second.
For the uninitiated, Fleurie is an indie pop artist who operates in the realm of Braids, Made in Heights, Banks, and the like. She is perhaps best known for her cameo on the hit single “Mansion” by the quickly rising Christian hip hop artist NF. Her EP presents an emotional ethereal journey, that is actually what you would expect if the mood presented if the hook in “Mansion” were drawn out into a complete sounding EP.
I want to take a minute and address the effective, not indulgent use of the vocoder in “Hope Where Have You Gone.” The introduction takes inspiration from that famous Imogen Heap single we all know, for sure. But the eight minute song isn’t a rip off at all. Despite the bleak topic matter, I find the song to be very peaceful. What did stir my emotions, however, is “Spark.” Something about the outro just hit me in a certain way the first time I heard it. Not since hearing Deas Vail’s “Cages” for the first time have I been brought to a such a strong state of melancholy. As those last few notes of “Sparks” echoed in my mind, while I walked home from a coffee shop – I was left to ponder loss and the inevitable marching on of life. Sadness can drive us to faith and a reminder of comforting truth, so I’m thankful for these moments.
If you are reading this as one familiar with Fleurie, you might be thinking that I’m crazy because “Sparks” is a love song. I really can’t explain why the melody hit me the way it did. Actually the knowledge of the song being a love anthem brings me an odd sense of relief – I read the lyrics after hearing it a couple of times. “Fire In My Bones” is a dance-able track that leaves no room for misinterpretation of its mood. I’m reminded of “I Already See It” from Kye Kye’s sophomore release Fantasize.
Fleurie is dreamy, cathartic and full of heart. I worry a little bit that she will be overlooked in a genre that’s flooding the market right now.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeo23z06EsQ[/youtube]
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