Description
After the success of their debut album Terrapath, which cemented their status as the stewards of the UK's prog-rock scene, Plantoid have returned with their sophomore release: the enigmatic, arresting, and at times downright catchy Flare. Staying true to the band's math-rock roots, the album is awash in heavy, reverberated guitar licks, tempo changes, and mind-altering chord progressions--all while expanding Plantoid's signature sound towards new horizons, like wall-of-sound shoegaze and vocal-forward rock-pop. It does what all second albums do best; retain the core DNA that set its predecessor apart from the fray, yet evolve enough to excite old fans and new listeners alike.
"While making Flare, we did knowingly acknowledge that our sound had been very erratic," explains drummer Louis Bradshaw, who along with vocalist/guitarist Chloe Spence and lead guitarist Tom Coyne, make up the nucleus of Plantoid. "We never stayed on anything for too long. Before going into writing this album we wanted to slightly redefine what we were doing--it's less directly proggy. It strays from that sound a bit, while retaining that character."
If you're here for the time changes, long track durations, and jazzy mid-song freakouts, don't you worry, you'll still find plenty across the album's nine sprawling tracks. It's just that Plantoid have been able to tap into something deeper, more lived-in. With the help of producer/sometimes live member Nathan Ridley, who has helped the band craft their sonic identity since Terrapath, they've sought to indulge their groovier side, dissecting their songs further and letting their ingredients properly ferment into something new. "We wanted to sit in the music for a while, make a mood out of it rather than like changing it up so quickly," says Chloe. "We wanted to see ideas to their fullest extent."
It's this dedication to the expansion of their craft that makes them both endlessly fascinating, and one of those most intensely imaginative rock bands in the UK today.
