Single Review: Beaty Heart – Flora
With a brooding, dark and enveloping sound building into a triumphant and melodic chorus, it’s hard to not let ‘Flora’, the new track from South London trio Beaty Heart, into the deepest chasms of your mind. Manipulating electronic sounds around pulsating beats, together with a sample of Swedish band Midi, Maxi & Efti’s hit ‘Bad Bad Boys’, the trio comprised of Charlie Rotberg (drums, samplers), Joshua Mitchell (vocals, guitars, samplers) and James Moruzzi (drums, samplers, vocals) showcase their talents as architects of melody and constructors of foreboding pop hooks. Fusing bare and beat-heavy electronica with weird compositions featuring entwining percussion and instrumentals, the Beaty Heart sound is as if Chet Faker and alt-J had collaborated to bring together a melding of both their musical qualities. Beaty Heart are bringing forth this musical marriage, something we didn’t know we needed but certainly do now.
After an introduction that in itself is mysterious, amidst sharp shoots of high-pitched synthesiser creating a menacing audible environment, the vocals of ‘Flora’ come in. “You’re the only one I know, Flora” is sung with a soft cadence, the entire atmosphere of the song changes to one of desire. The Flora in question refers to Brazilian jazz singer Flora Purim, with the band admitting they set out to recreate her “rich, steamy tones” in their own style, and that you can clearly hear. Evoking an elegance around the sounds crafted, the lyrics are yearning, almost a call out to Purim herself.
Once the track fully begins, with the barrage of percussion and interlocked instrument samples, the pulse of the song increases, driving it forward towards the loudest crescendo before the outro. The ‘Bad Bad Boys’ sample of “oh yeah, uh huh” keeps the song from truly lifting off in terms of the vibe, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Keeping it grounded retains the initial darkness, but the sample adds a casualness that stops the track becoming too heavy. Briefly entering into a break, the track bursts back to life with the final chorus, before slowly petering out only to finish with a final “yeah…”
This is a strong single for the trio: it’s simple despite its complexities. If they really wanted to grab our attention and to make a statement, this is certainly how to do it.
8.5/10
‘Flora’ is released the 26th of February via Caroline International/NUA Entertainment. They are playing a headline show on the 13th of April at London Electrowerkz; tickets are on sale now.
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