Gardens – ‘Flaws’ album review: An impressively strong dream-pop debut
THE SKINNY: Dream-pop has an incredibly long and diverse sonic history, incorporating everybody from Cocteau Twins to Slowdive. In more recent years, however, the label has become indistinguishable from a wave of bland and unimaginatively gentle indie pop artists. In answer to this worrying trend, Austrian outfit Gardens have emerged from Vienna toting their own unique and original take on the dream-pop genre. Their debut album, Flaws, captures the spirit of that sound perfectly, representing a group whose quality is far beyond its years.
Upon an initial pass, Flaws might seem like a fairly standard, if spaced-out, indie dream-pop record. The sounds and lyrical compositions of the album all follow a pretty similar route, and the tracklisting flows without much disruption. However, if you delve a little deeper into the sounds contained in the band’s debut album, you begin to see the incredibly broad range of influences and styles adopted by the Austrian outfit. For instance, tracks like ‘Turning Tables’ feature wonderfully retro, 1950s-style guitar riffs befitting figures like Hank Marvin, although they are backed up by the distinctly modern dream-pop psychedelia of the rest of the group.
Inevitably, the vocal performances of lead singer Luca Celina Müller are a highlight throughout Flaws. Although their style of singing rarely changes, at least not drastically, across the album, those soothing tones act as a perfect companion as the listener journeys through the debut. What’s more, the vocals of Müller prove themselves to be equally suited to the more downbeat, mellow offerings of the album – songs like ‘Future’ – as well as some of the more energetic, brooding anthems like ‘Help’.
Particularly impressive for a debut record, Flaws manages to put across the musical manifesto of Gardens without encroaching on being too repetitive or bland. While many of the songs follow a similar sonic route, they are all just different enough to keep audiences interested and in anticipation. They might not boast the most original sounds of all time, but Gardens certainly succeed in adding new layers of inspiration into the modern dream-pop genre, something which has been far too long overdue for a refresh. Their debut record offers a colossal level of promise for the development of their musical career, which will definitely be worth keeping an eye on.
For fans of : Long drives through the summer, frolicking in the whimsy of nature, and a general rejection of all adult responsibilities.
A concluding comment from Ben’s housemate: “I had things that I wanted to do today, important stuff that I needed to be alert for. And now, look at me. Sinking ever further into this beanbag accompanied by the voice of a Viennese dream-pop singer.”
Flaws track by track:
Release date: November 1st | Label: Siluh Records | Producer: Gardens
‘Flaws’: There is a lot riding on a debut album’s opening song, but Gardens seem to handle that pressure with effortless grace. ‘Flaws’ is an infectiously laid-back dream-pop anthem that helps to breathe new life into an often banal genre. [4/5]
‘Change’: Following on in a similar theme and structure to the opening track, this song further establishes the band’s penchant for crafting easy-going and effortlessly cool soundscapes. There are multiple hints at psychedelia on this song, too, which help to diversify the sonic offerings of Gardens. [3.5/5]
‘Turning Tables’: Despite being the longest single effort on this album, ‘Turning Tables’ seems to breeze past in the blink of an eye. Boasting a wonderfully retro-inspired, almost surf rock, guitar riff and the typically soothing vocals of Luca Celina Müller, it is a particular highlight from across the tracklisting. [4/5]
‘Where’: Although, thus far, the songs encased on Flaws have all retained a fairly similar theme and inherent sound, the album is yet to broach on feeling too repetitive or bland. Instead, they succeed in creating a range of differing compositions with a common theme running through them; not an easy thing to master. [3.5/5]
‘Youth’: A short but sweet exploration of adolescence which seems to naturally fit the gentle sound of Müller’s vocals. The inclusion of keys on this song form a particular highlight, although, at two-and-a-half minutes, ‘Youth’ does not really get a chance to fully resolve itself. [3/5]
‘Shift’: As we reach the midpoint of Gardens’ debut album, the band picks up the tempo somewhat, with the help of a particularly heavy bassline. When the rest of the band kicks in, the song offers something that feels incredibly suave and cool, inching away from the dream-pop parameters that first commenced this record. [3.5/5]
‘Future’: The energy created on the previous offering is not necessarily continued on into ‘Future’, which brings a more downbeat, mellow sound to the band’s usually optimistic output. Nevertheless, it does act as an example of how the group have diversified their material across this album. [3/5]
‘Pills’: Despite its title, this effort marks a return to a more optimistic sound. ‘Pills’ is evocative of nature and greenery, in terms of sound, while its lyrical hint at a dark internal struggle. That contrast certainly works in the band’s favour. [3.5/5]
‘Seasons’: At this point on the record, Gardens are perhaps at risk of repeating themselves. This song, in particular, seems very close in both sound and lyrical content to various other tracks on this album. While that is not such a drastic crime, it does mean that compositions like ‘Seasons’ lack the same impact as other works. [3/5]
‘Help’: This brooding, existential exploration is among the most diverse and interesting efforts on the record, which begs the question of why it has been buried so low in the tracklisting? It is works like this which best exemplify the songwriting talent of the Viennese band. [4/5]
‘Sink’: Offering a naturally gentle ending to the band’s debut album, ‘Sink’ is not a hugely notable song in its own right, but it acts as a fitting closer to what has been an inarguably strong debut effort. [3/5]
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