For this review, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on “Without Love”, the new single from Newcastle upon Tyne gothic rock / metal band Flowers for Juno and their latest release since their debut EP “Be My Bloody Valentine”. With that project, vocalist Benjó James and musician Jack Wilson created a strange, Lynchian-like mood piece that seemed to embrace the lyrical stylings of ballroom-centric pop ballads of the 1960s to 1980s – whether it’s Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (which Benjó did a delightfully creepy version of on that record) or Tears for Fears’ timeless “Head Over Heels” – and yet forcibly REJECTED their promise of true, ‘endless’ love between romantic partners. In the loose narrative of the EP, Benjó loses a romantic interest, gains another, loses her and succumbs to the fates of loneliness and, assumedly, death.
This single consists of the title track on Side A, labelled the “7” Deadly Sins Mix”, and two remixes of the EP’s second single “It’s Not My Fault” on Side B. Along with being an addendum to “Be My Bloody Valentine”, “Without Love” bears a similar tonal structure to its predecessor. It starts off with a menacing bang, tapers off into a deceptively ethereal vibe and concludes on an incredibly bleak note. Another similarity between single and EP is the use of dead air, lessened in volume at the start and end (with the exception of the track “Without Love”) of each song compared to the EP’s opening track “Dead Air” but still present in the background. A reminder that what you’re about to hear is anything but ordinary.
With the Side A solo track “Without Love” being the only ‘new’ composition in this short collection of songs, Benjó James returns to his heartbroken viewpoint on love that made “Physical Culture” off the “Be My Bloody Valentine” EP such a highlight. He describes love as this missing puzzle piece of sorts that, once attained, SHOULD make him emotionally and mentally whole. There’s an air of melancholy present throughout this song, especially in the combined instrumentation of Jack Wilson’s energetic guitar riffs and drum solo and Benjó’s warped keyboard melody, the latter of which appears during the bridge.
Side B opens with “It’s Not My Fault (In the Nightcore Eclipse Remix)” which …. you guessed it …. is a nightcore version of the original song. And while I’m not the biggest fan of nightcore (I’m more of a slowed / slowed-and-reverb type of guy), I must confess this version sounds GREAT! The simple tweaks to the instrumental’s pitch and Benjó’s vocals make this version sound livelier and – dare I say – more blissful! The original was already the most heartfelt track on “Be My Bloody Valentine” and here, this particular remix is the bright spot on this single.
And then we get to the final track “It’s Not My Fault (Palazzo’s Monstrosity Coil Remix)” where, similar to the “Physical Culture” remix that closed off “Be My Bloody Valentine”, Flowers for Juno gives guest producer Palazzo’s Monstrosity Coil free reign to turn their original song into a soundscape lifted straight out of a horror movie! Compared to the “Physical Culture” remix, this remix to “It’s Not My Fault” is surprisingly the more accessible of the two. The reverbed vocals, kept in the same pitch and speed they were on the original version, aren’t overpowered by the production’s less abrasive but still harsh combination of crushing bass and clanking industrial noises. Even Benjó’s pitch-shifted outro vocals remain intact which, to me, adds a bit of pitch-black humor to the entire track. I truly hope that this isn’t the last collaboration between Flowers for Juno and Palazzo’s Monstrosity Coil as I believe he can add more nightmarish detail to the band’s weird and ominous musical world.
Overall, I really enjoyed “Without Love”! I can see fans of “Be My Bloody Valentine” thoroughly enjoying this single and newbies into the style and sound of Flowers for Juno entertained and intrigued enough to check out that EP. With their singles and debut record, this band seems to be making a name for themselves in the goth rock and metal scene. Here’s hoping they keep that momentum going with their next release!
Flowers For Juno’s “Without Love” is now available on all popular streaming platforms
For the first rock / metal review in the history of my Fiverr gig (FINALLY!!), I’ll be sharing my thoughts on “Be My Bloody Valentine”, the debut EP from Newcastle upon Tyne gothic rock / metal band Flowers for Juno. Released on…..you guessed it…..Valentine’s Day, this project is the brainchild of band members Benjó James (vocalist) and Jack Wilson (musician).
The EP’s cover and promotional artwork for its singles “Physical Culture” and “It’s Not My Fault” involve these old portrait photos of female models with a hot pink gradient applied to them. Like the decrepit building at the center of many gothic horror stories, these photos are reminders of the past, a simpler time when relationships weren’t as complex and complicated as they usually are now. And this distinct colour gradient represents Flowers for Juno’s warped, cynical and intriguingly fatalistic perspective on love that is the literal beating heart of this project.
On the subject of gothic horror and decrepit buildings, you can picture Flowers for Juno performing their three songs (yes, I know this is a six-track EP, but more on that in a bit) within the interior of an archaic – haunted, if you will – mansion or castle. There is a ‘performance’ element to this EP, as after the intro “Dead Air” which starts with 23 seconds of…. you guessed it….DEAD AIR and concludes with a Greenwich Time Signal, we’re treated to what sounds like an underground radio broadcast of a Valentine’s Day-themed performance from the band hosted by an unnamed MC.
The band’s ‘set’ begins with the first single “Physical Culture” and I love how the song builds for a few seconds near the end of the MC’s introduction and EXPLODES with a barrage of thunderous guitars and tense synths! Utilizing some creepy vocal inflections and genuinely dark lyrics, Benjó James effectively sets the tone and themes of the EP. He states that our human desire for love and affection will inevitably lead to our demise, citing the current heartbreak he’s experiencing and inability to move on as a major example (“Broken trust fills endless graves / Deep buried by the pain”). The only solution he can come up with is to run away from that innate desire and live out the rest of his days in loneliness guised as emotional safety. And yet he seeks the meaning behind the breakup he’s pining over or at least a confirmation that some sort of reconciliation is possible, as emphasized on the song’s catchy hook.
The past and the present coalesce on the following song “Can’t Help Falling in Love” which, if you know your ballads, is exactly what you think it is. Over a moody instrumental driven by spacey, 80s retro synths, Benjó sings a brief cover of the timeless Elvis Presley song. The minor scale he uses for his vocal delivery and the slight distortion added to his voice add to the already-creepy vibe of the song. In a remarkably cynical way, this cover shows how the sentiment of that song back when it was recorded in 1961 – and to an extent, the EXCELLENT UB40 cover back in 1993 – is practically non-existent in this strange world Flowers for Juno inhabit. A part of me wishes the song could’ve continued on for a bit longer, incorporating the chorus and third verse, but I do admire how crystal clear its sardonic message is throughout its short runtime.
Segueing beautifully from “Can’t Help Falling in Love” is the second single “It’s Not My Fault”, whose soaring opening synth lead and cinematic-sounding combination of guitars and drums create this sense of hope beaming into the life of Benjó at this point on the record. On this track, the desire for love he condemned earlier is enveloping him in this warm light and though he fears the fleeting nature of this sensation, he wants to stay in that light – and in the care of this new romantic partner of his – a bit longer. The only complaint I have about this track is the filter added to Benjó’s vocals on the hook which make them sound a bit indiscernible over the rousing production. But as the EP’s most heartfelt and optimistic song, “It’s Not My Fault” ABSOLUTELY WORKS!
And just when you think everything’s going to be okay for our lovelorn anti-hero, we get the last two tracks “Have you ever seen a human heart? It looks like a fist, wrapped in blood!” and “Physical Culture (Palazzo’s Monstrosity Coil Remix)”. After the MC closes off Flowers for Juno’s performance at the end of “It’s Not My Fault”, the penultimate track begins with this soothing, almost heavenly instrumental which blankets the same dead air sound effect from the EP’s intro. Here, the band makes a radical switch from gothic rock to experimental and ambient music, beginning with this track’s surreal production and continuing with a repeated couplet, delivered in a forward-reverse-forward manner that should sound familiar to those who remember the classic TV series “Twin Peaks” (if not, look up the “Red Room”). It’s certainly a weird change of pace on the record and one that I imagine will polarize some listeners. But thanks to its purposefully morbid title, I came out of this track with two interpretations. The first is Benjó finally letting go of the past and embracing his desire to be with his new partner. However, there’s a blink-and-you-miss-it sound effect near the end of the track that reveals a dark and DEEPLY unsettling layer hiding in plain sight! And while I won’t reveal what that sound effect is (you’ll just have to vibe out to this track until you hear it), I will say – and this is my second interpretation – that this newfound love, or the lack given or received, leads to Benjó’s downfall on the record.
And this leads to the closing track “Physical Culture (Palazzo’s Monstrosity Coil Remix)” which not only hints at the FATE of Benjó’s character but returns to the EP’s thematic merging of past and present elements. Guest producer Palazzo’s Monstrosity Coil delivers the polar opposite of the ethereal production of “Have you ever seen a human heart? It looks like a fist, wrapped in blood!”, with a bleak, sparse and incredibly unnerving soundscape. Through some masterful mixing, we hear the echoed vocals of “Physical Culture” faintly in the distance, constantly overpowered by the rumbling distortion of Palazzo’s Monstrosity Coil’s instrumental. The ambiguity of this track is BRILLIANT as many interpretations can be pulled from it. Two came to my mind: Benjó is finally in the place where those who gave themselves completely into love, desire and lust ultimately find themselves (call it hell or purgatory) or his desire to be loved has now become a faint memory, a relic of the past, now immortalized in the recording of a Flowers for Juno performance played on an underground radio station every Valentine’s Day.
Despite the few flaws I mentioned, I really enjoyed this EP! In addition to being a highly entertaining showcase of the multi-talented Flowers for Juno, it presents themes and concepts that I imagine will be explored even further in their future discography. For one, I would love to see that radio show/station concept expanded upon as it was such a great foundation for this EP to build itself from. And even though Valentine’s Day 2024 has already ended, that doesn’t mean you can’t dive into this record when the need for dark, twisted musical examinations of love and heartbreak arises. In short, open your heart – literally and/or figuratively – to “Be My Bloody Valentine”.
For the first time on my blog, I’ll be reviewing a literal handful of promotional singles and their accompanying visuals for an upcoming studio album. The album in question is “Wonderland” from international pop rock / alt indie pop band Echo Strike, a follow-up to their breakup-themed record – and one of my favorite albums of 2022 – “Can’t Do Anything Right”. As you may have guessed, “Wonderland” is inspired by the beloved children’s novel “Alice in Wonderland” and like its predecessor, a concept album of sorts.
Based off the tones and sounds presented on these five singles, in addition to the final moments of my album breakdown of “Can’t Do Anything Right” with Echo Strike’s lead vocalist Randy Van Gelder from last year, I can report that “Wonderland” will be a substantially upbeat record. And though it will undoubtedly explore similar themes of love, heartbreak and moving forward from said heartbreak, the vibe will be mostly, if not entirely, dancefloor oriented thanks to the electro-pop sounds utilized by Echo Strike on this album.
Expanding on the “visual album” approach of “Can’t Do Anything Right” where a majority of tracks were given distinct visual treatments, these five music videos play out like narrative short films. Two of them are practically experimental films, which is funny since they’re both animated. For me, the incorporation of animation into the promotion of this album proves that Echo Strike’s music video for “Never Too Late” off the “Can’t Do Anything Right” record wasn’t a one-and-done attempt at using animation to articulate their lyrics and themes. And with the exception of one video, the Echo Strike band members appear in some shape or form in this anthology / visual EP of sorts.
I’ll kick things off with “Rabbit Hole”, the first of the two animated videos and the beginning of this journey into Echo Strike’s Wonderland. Like Alice’s descent into the rabbit hole led by the White Rabbit, this song involves the protagonist (portrayed as a lonely young man in the video) exiting his humdrum reality through a literal leap of faith. The song’s piano-driven electronica beat and expressive lyrics (“Come now, heart is pumping / Blinding lights, get jumpin’ / This place, got to know / Call it the Rabbit Hole”) help convey the sense of excitement and euphoria the protagonist feels along the way and upon arrival at this mysterious, extraordinary world.
Given the cyberpunk aesthetic of the music video, you can picture Randy on the track as this Morpheus-like character – who just so happens to do gigs at this nightclub which serves as the centerpiece of the video – beckoning the protagonist and the listener to take that life-altering plunge. On the subject of Randy, the AI technology used to craft this genuinely stunning video is so impressive, I assumed upon first viewing that the shots of Echo Strike performing were REAL! And speaking of “The Matrix”, I couldn’t help but be reminded of, yes, the nightclub scene from that film but also the premise of “Kid’s Story”, a standout segment from the “Animatrix” animated anthology film. Of all these videos, “Rabbit Hole” exhibits the perfect blend of sound, tone and visual in the sense that the video looks exactly the way the song sounds and feels like! Already, this is one of my favorite tracks off the record and I imagine it’ll be the same for many people who hear this song and watch its video.
In addition to one’s escape from reality, another theme established on “Wonderland” is resilience against the harshness of one’s environment. The live-action music video “Not Going to Follow” delivers a delightfully colorful take on rebelling against the external forces meant to destroy one’s individuality. In a dull, sepia-colored town, one of its citizens, played by a flamboyantly-dressed Randy, leaves his home and magically spreads color to the lives of his fellow townspeople. The end result is a joyous outdoor celebration that perfectly matches the song’s vibrant, sunny instrumental. The lyrics to this song are appropriately self-empowering as they encourage us to follow our own life paths and reject the man-made ones that go against our values and beliefs.
During my first listen and viewing, I admittedly felt a sense of thematic dissonance hearing these lyrics and seeing Randy’s Pied Piper-like character working his magic. But if you dig deeper into the video and song, you realize that Randy ISN’T a Pied Piper at all. Like Neo in “The Matrix”, Randy’s character broke out of his mental and emotional prisons and influences the townspeople to do the same. Of course, not everyone will understand, let alone take that leap, and that’s where you get a climactic moment in the video involving a bearded man resisting Randy’s magical charms via a hilarious dance-off. In short, the video is irresistibly fun but the lyrics, which I suspect will relate to a particular moment or song earlier in the tracklist, demand a little extra focus.
Sticking with live-action a bit longer, we have “Hit or Miss” which, from a production standpoint, is a continuation of Echo Strike’s occasional dabbles into decade-defined genres and sounds, like the disco throwback “1978” off their “Dirty Clean Sexy Mean” record. In this case, we’re treated to a gleefully retro synth pop anthem that, if it was recorded in the 1980s, would’ve fit nicely over an energetic film montage like the “Scarface” sequence set to Paul Engemann’s timeless “Push it to the Limit” for example (the sonic influence of which I couldn’t help but notice – as a huge “Scarface” fan – on this track).
Funny enough, the song and video actually owe a lot to classic, pop-driven combat sports films of the 80s, the three most notable being “The Karate Kid”, “Rocky III” and “Rocky IV” (Sorry, “Raging Bull” doesn’t count! I said POP-DRIVEN!). The video, filmed entirely in Argentina, begins with a prizefighter bribed to take a dive in his upcoming match by a gangster played by a Marsellus Wallace-channeling (sans the bald head) Randy Van Gelder. And like Bruce Willis’ character in “Pulp Fiction”, our hero ignores the bribe and focuses on the match and the pride his loved ones will feel if he wins it.
Lyrically, Randy (not the gangster) is facing an opponent of his own: the insecurity he feels over losing his recent love interest. Driven by the song’s warbly synths and throbbing percussion, he gets into training montage mode on the pre-hook (“I gotta run, run, run / Gotta catch the sun / So I light the fire, to take it higher”) and, adopting the courage and focus exhibited by many a boxer in the squared circle, makes a valiant effort to reclaim this girl’s love on the RIDICULOUSLY CATCHY chorus! The second verse adds an extra layer of depth to what could’ve been a simple ‘give love a try again’ song. Randy recalls his first bout with regret at the age of 5 and how, over the years, he learned to cope with regret through confidence and determination to do and be better. And thanks to the message of the aforementioned “Not Going to Follow”, the hook on “Hit or Miss” takes on a more self-affirmative meaning.
Which leads to the BEST live-action video in this package, “Infection”. If “Hit or Miss” involves a second chance at love, “Infection” deals with the enamored feeling that, depending on how you deal with heartbreak (more on that in a bit), may spur someone to try again – or try at all – at the game of love. Using a zombie-creating virus as the driving theme of the video and song is PURE GENIUS! As the title states, Randy’s INFECTED by this woman, and not only is he incapable of shaking her off his mind, but he’s changing into someone completely different. In zombie terms, swap the word “brain” with “heart” and you’ll know exactly what this song is getting at!
Randy wisely keeps the intent of this lovesick man open-ended, as we’re left to ponder whether his attraction towards this potential love interest is healthy or not. This is reflected in the subtly salacious tone of Randy’s songwriting and vocal delivery, particularly in the song’s bridge where he sounds rather……hungry for this woman. But despite the ‘undead’ imagery woven into the lyrics, the song’s main theme of infatuation is universally relatable, which in turn adds to the magnetic appeal this song has and will continue to garner. As I stated, “Infection” boasts the best live-action music video in this collection, and that’s due to the loving homage to the zombie genre it delivers from start to finish. From the IMPRESSIVE zombie makeup and simplistic, post-apocalyptic setting (think of the events leading up to “The Walking Dead” or “The Last of Us”) to the references to memorable zombie moments in film, like the iconic “Thriller” dance to the zombie/human love story presented in the 2010 zom-rom-com “Warm Bodies” (take note of the final shot before the end credit / blooper reel sequence). And you can tell that everybody, zombie and human, had a BLAST on-set and it shows in this delightful, witty and entertaining-as-hell video!
And last but not least, we have my top favorite song and music video of the five: “Running on Empty”. This is where this brief journey into and across Wonderland veers into the dark territory of heartbreak. Over an airy, immersive, vaporwave beat, Randy sings from the perspective of a man who unapologetically turns his back on his ex after a frustrating roadblock in their relationship. The verses are delivered in this low register, consisting of brief phrases meant to sound like indifferent responses during a heated argument (“Tough shit, you’re mad / It’s rough, I ain’t sad”, “Now you need to know / What it’s like to sleep on the floor”). The key to truly understanding this song comes in the form of the melancholic vibe hovering over the hook. Yes, he sings “You, you’re running on empty / You gotta be lonely without me”, but you can tell that through all the nose-turning and chest-puffing he does on the verses, he’s actually concerned for his ex’s emotional stability. And despite the ‘toxic’ nature of the lyrics, the song itself isn’t about who’s right or wrong but how we feel, post-breakup, about the other person even if we were wronged in some way.
The animated visuals for “Running on Empty”, presented in a side-scroller video game style, are masterful in their simplicity and effectiveness. Throughout the video’s runtime, we follow a white, cardboard cutout-looking character wearing red shoes running through a series of brightly-colored landscapes. During the second verse where Randy mentions “sleeping on the floor”, the character runs into one of its kind lying on the ground, ignorant at how tired our lead is feeling at this point. After a transitional wipe, it continues running – all alone with no endpoint in sight. And while I won’t spoil what happens to it during the video’s final moments, it’s one of the most emotional and unforgettable conclusions you’ll see to a music video all year!
And to think this collection of songs and videos is but a taste of what’s in store with “Wonderland”. Sonically and visually, these five chapters of Echo Strike’s fantastical journey into electro-pop left me highly entertained and genuinely excited for their upcoming album. Like “Can’t Do Anything Right”, I won’t be surprised if we get more versatile visuals for some, if not the rest, of the other tracks. But for now, these delightful and enjoyable singles and videos should keep us satisfied until the final product drops!
“Rabbit Hole”, “Infection” and “Running on Empty” are now available on Spotify and YouTube. “Not Going to Follow” and “Hit or Miss” are scheduled for release on both platforms.
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