Flowers

Album review

Though the term "folktronica" may have been much maligned by the early 2010s, the style's mix of heartfelt singing and guitars and intricate electronics still resonated as long as it was in the right hands. Sindri Sigfússon's work with Seabear and Sin Fang for Morr Music -- one of the definitive folktronica labels -- was among the most winsome and wistful, and Flowers offers some of his finest music yet. His second Sin Fang album (having dropped the Bous from the project's name for 2011's Summer Echoes) is filled with songs that resemble cuddly giants in their massive size and reassuring sentiments. The earnest songwriting of his previous albums is still here, most notably on the opening track "Young Boys," where Sigfússon's storytelling flair comes to the fore. However, he sounds bigger and bolder than ever on songs such as the lively, rippling "Sunbeam" and "Look at the Light," where warm piano, brass, and strings, as well as what could be an army of twittering toy robots, surround his increasingly confident vocals. He even rocks out a bit on Flowers, with "Everything Alright" serving up fuzzed-out guitars and "See Ribs" whipping up some feedback. Elsewhere, Sigfússon delivers more of the hushed sweetness he mined on Clangour and Summer Echoes on songs like "Feel.See" and "Catcher," though even these songs feel more mature and powerful than their previous counterparts. Still, Flowers' best moments are often the loudest, and they sound all the fresher because they're just as inviting as Sin Fang's more intimate music.
© Heather Phares /TiVo