Flowers For The Dead—Perfect View

Flowers for the Dead are a band from Washington, DC. I hadn’t encountered them before, but they’ve already built a solid body of work, with numerous single releases, a couple of full-length albums, and now this EP, which offers a glimpse into their evolving sound and artistic vision.

The EP opens with "Tiny Beanie" a relatively short track at just a minute and a half. Musically, it gives a clear sense of the band’s style, though the valley-girl–style talking layered over the track feels a bit like misdirection, teasing one expectation while hinting at something different.

With "First Place" the dynamic flips. The vocals are more in line with what I anticipated, but musically the track is somewhat restrained and flat. It picks up in the second half, yet it still feels a little at odds with itself, as though the song can’t quite decide whether to hold back or fully soar.

"Thorn" is another short track, again just over a minute and a half, and just as the pieces start to come into its own, the song ends, leaving you wanting more.

The final track, "Perfect View" immediately brought the Beatles’ “Dear Prudence” to mind, or, considering the band’s direction, perhaps the Siouxsie and the Banshees rendition. The gentle build and melodic interplay highlight what the band can achieve when their ideas fully gel.

There’s a lot to like in this EP, but it also feels like a teaser for what could be. While that might sound like faint praise, EPs often serve as introductions to a band, and the ideal is for them to be as strong and cohesive as possible. I missed the band’s 2024 album release, "Magnolia" but this EP has definitely piqued my interest, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for future releases.