This week brought us a lot of new music. Music I’ve been looking forward to for months, music I’ve been looking forward to for ten years. And yet all of those releases have got a maximum of two spins, because I cannot pull myself away from John Floreani and his debut solo album sin.
I love Trophy Eyes, I’m sure we all know this by now. I sat down with John for an interview in December and was so inspired by the band’s approach to genre — or maybe I should say, their aversion to it entirely. Just creating what they love without thinking about what box it fits into. I think the collision of genres is the future, that’s how we’re going to keep creating cooler and cooler music… and that’s probably why I love this album so much.
I don’t even know how to fairly summarize it. John screamed a lot less on The American Dream which showed off his vocals nicely, but this turned it up to 11. He’s got some beautiful vocal runs on here, he’s incredibly talented. Every song fits together but none of them sound the same. It’s that “fuck genre, make what you like” mentality in action. Actually stepping out with a collection of songs where I couldn’t tell you the genre if I wanted to. Alternative? It’s all encompassing enough to fit everything without shrinking it. It doesn’t matter.
The singles for this were perfectly selected. “Echoes” and “Before The Devil Knows I’m Dead” are absolutely the highlights of this record. The production is stellar (shoutout to Shane Edwards) and creates such a riveting listening experience. Every song is expertly crafted, I don’t know what more I can say. You have to listen to it. That’s all there is to it.
Every song Trophy Eyes has ever put out has felt very genuine and personal, along with everything John previously released as Little Brother. This album really seems to refine in on those stories, giving us a closer look behind the veil. “I Don’t Want To Be Here Either” has left me with chills for the last 48 hours. There are some dissonant piano notes in there that are stunning but also leave me feeling so unsettled (perfect for this track). This is one of those songs where when you hear it live, everyone will sing perfectly in key and cry together… y’know those concert moments? They only happen sometimes. But this song will bring that, I assure you.
There’s so much new music out this week, and so much more coming out for the rest of the month. It’s overwhelming, and it’s hard to give time to all of the things you love. But if you take at least 26 minutes out to listen to John Floreani, I promise you it’s the best decision you’ll make this year.
