Girl at the Rock Shows

I’ve fallen behind on my full album reviews lately and I hate it. That being said, I feel like I have to be in the mood to review a full album as I don’t want a crappy mood or complete exhaustion to sway my opinion on an album. So here we are, It’s Friday night and I’m prepping for another small trip out of town this weekend but I am feeling ready to dig into some new albums so why mess with this mood and motivation. Let’s go ahead and jump right into ‘Eden To Carry’ from Flood District.

The title track, “Eden To Carry” kicks this ten song album off and instantly had me hooked. There’s a very theatrical opening to this song before it settles into Flood District’s distinct sound. A little indie rock with a very alternative energy to it and even a hint of angst, I was hanging on every word of this opening track as it played through. I also found myself lost in the overall motion of this track. The rises and falls throughout the four and a half minute song are drastic and not as predictable as one may think. Seriously, what a way to kick off an album.

“Fool Me Once” brings in a bit more of an electronic sound giving it a bit of an industrial vibe that wasn’t heard in the opening track. Even with this new found vibe, you still get Flood District’s distinct energy. I’m quickly catching on that the movement that Flood District is able to bring to a song is their signature and this song is a perfect example of that. I will say that there were times throughout this track where I felt like things were just a bit busy with too many instrumental parts happening at one time making it hard to hear clarity but somehow, after a couple of these moments, it grew on me and I ended up loving the controlled chaos that came with them.

Much like how “Fool Me Once” seemed to change things completely from the opening track, “I’d Rather Feel Nothing” changes the game yet again bringing a more indie-pop vibe to the album. This song is infectious to say the least. The beat is poppy but there’s a slight darkness that comes from the vocals that keeps this track from feeling too commercial for my personal preference. The song low-key reminded me a bit of bands like The Catalina or Yam Haus (shout out to the local Twin Cities scene) but even those comparisons don’t fit perfectly. “I’d Rather Feel Nothing” is one of those tracks that you just have to hear for yourself.’

I knew what I wanted “Sleepyhead” (the fourth track on the album) to sound like just based off of my love for Passion Pit’s song of the same title. Although that’s not quite what I got, Flood District continued to give me that signature dance-pop vibe they laid out in “I’d Rather Feel Nothing” but continued to add elements to it to make this sound feel, yet again, completely different from the previous songs. This song takes a little bit of that darkness that was in the vocals during “I’d Rather Feel Nothing” but also brings back the more industrial beat heard in “Fool Me Once” creating a super cool blend of genres.

“Life’s Hard (Cause We Die)” is the first time I feel like you really get to experience the vocal power of this track. This is a slow and steady track leaning more towards the singer-songwriter world than the previous tracks. It was nice to have a bit of a break from the sheer energy and infectious bops that had just happened but even this song left me breathless. Even though there is a twist in this track that brings a bit more force than I had expected just about a minute in, the beauty contained in this nearly five minute song will give you a chance to breathe but also knock you off of your feet.

The album continues with “Used To Be” which works as a super good transition from the slower vibe of “Life’s Hard (Cause We Die)” back into the infectious energy of Flood District. Unfortunately, I feel like I was still in a bit of a haze created by the previous track to the point where this song just kind of flashed by me and, before I knew it, “Anniversary” had taken over my house. “Anniversary” features some really cool layered vocals throughout the song that are juxtaposed by some of the crispest and cleanest vocals I’ve heard thus far on the album. Although just one song, I feel like the composition and the multiple modes throughout this song make this nearly five minute song feel more like an epic journey rather than just another song.

“Wish You Well” was instantly my favorite track on this album. It doesn’t waste time hooking you with an infectious beat and a bit more of a garage-emo-punk attitude in the vocals and instrumentation alike. This isn’t a far cry from the other tracks on this album by any means but it’s definitely yet another shift that Flood District pulls off so easily. That’s the best thing about this band. All of the eight songs thus far have clearly been that of Flood District but have also been clearly and distinctly different tracks. Case in point? “I Believe…” which seems to take that more garage-punk vibe of “Wish You Well” but mix it with an almost 80’s inspired electronic background. Again, a blend that probably shouldn’t work well together but the way that Flood District does it makes me wonder why this hasn’t happened before.

‘Eden To Carry’ closes out with “With Another” which kicks off with an epic guitar solo before laying into the band’s more classic indie-pop vibe. This song is drenched with emotion when it comes to the lyrics and instrumentation making it a perfect and powerful ending to a truly stunning album. ‘Eden To Carry’ takes you everywhere and even though “With Another” closes it out brilliantly, it will undoubtedly leave you begging for more.

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