FLAIR Release New Self-Titled EP
Songs have been written about heartbreak, rejection and unrequited love since music began, now Flair take their turn to add to bonfire upon which we cast our broken hearts. Following the release of their haunting yet driving single ‘Run Away’ in August, the band return with their new self-titled EP that fixes its heart firmly to its sleeve and isn’t afraid to delve deep into the emotional core of songs. ‘Runaway’ hopes to provide listeners a vessel to stow the agony associated with an unrequited love, ‘Swan’ offers transformation and renewal and ‘Saccharin’ reminds us that it is always darkest before the dawn. Stadium sized gritty indie rock helps drive home the emotion, as delayed guitars wail away along with the vocals and drums give a pulse to the breaking of hearts.
Flair – Self Titled EP (Spotify Link)
The band began life in 2019 with Callum (drums), Jonny (lead guitar) and Johnnie(bass) forming the core of the band but it wasn’t until 2023 when Louis(rhythm guitar) and Tony(vocals) joined that the line up was cemented and the band found their voice. It quickly became clear that the five members were creating something far larger than the sum of their parts. Each bringing their own voice to their respective instrument, the sound and songs of the band grew organically.
On lead single ‘Runaway’ the band use a bed of reverb and delayed guitars to create a bed for emotive and soaring melodies. The track begins with Callum carving out a broken beat between his kick, snare and hats, using the each as their own instrument. As Jonny and Johnnies guitar and bass join, they conjure mood and atmosphere immediately setting the emotional tone for the song. It’s clear from the outset that the song is a cathartic vehicle for Tony, as he implores his own muse to run away from the strife, seemingly caused by his own actions.
Living up to it’s namesake ‘Swan’ has undergone a number of changes before transforming into the version we hear on the EP today. ‘Swan’ offers a change of pace musically and emotionally, it’s immediacy is matched by its poignancy. Lyrically the track explores the complex emotions associated with a lost love despite the negative emotional impact of the relationship. ‘Swan’ is a stylistic outlier in the Flair catalogue as they explore a new melodic approach. The guitars underpin and echo the emotion in the vocals, the quick stop ‘And I listen when you call my name with no sound at all’ is a perfect example. Drums and bass give the song purpose and drive, keeping it anchored amidst the torrent of emotional turmoil.
‘Saccharine’ is the third act in this EP and like third acts are meant to, ties things up nicely. In a way the track embodies the previous two while bringing its own voice to proceedings. It begins with a sway that the others don’t while still retaining the musically vocabulary the band have developed up to this point. The gentle melody that begins the song and hyphenates the verses is the very embodiment of carried along the breeze. As we hit the halfway point this gives way to heavy stabs, you can hear Callums drum skins wince under the strain, as the band hammer at their respective instruments. This change in mood means the gentle melody transforms into something else entirely, showing how important context is to the music. The band say they wanted to experiment by moving away from the traditional verse-chorus-verse on this track and let things develop as they felt right. It’s a massive end to an already huge EP, fittingly the song deals with looking for a sense of closure. ‘Saccharine’shows that the band are far from a one-trick pony.
Already creating a signature sound: Tony’s vocals soar above pounding drums, Johnnies bass under pins the whole song adding purpose and drive, while Jonny and Louis’s guitars swirl around each other creating atmospheric swathes of melodic guitar lines as earworm melodies rise out of the haze often in conversation with Tony’s vocals.
It’s clear from this release the band are cultivating a sound, pulling on a vast range of influences not only musical but from the world around them and channelling it into something that is already taking on a life of its own. Flair’s self titled EP cements them as one of the most exciting emerging voices on the scene today.
Flair – Swan (Spotify Link)(Focus Track)
Flair – Self Titled EP (Spotify Link)