Paramore vocalist Hayley Williams dropped a surprise release on Friday with ‘FLOWERS for VASES / descansos‘, her second full-length album in 9 months. Written and recorded in its entirety by Hayley in quarantine, “FLOWERS” shows a new side of Hayley, primarily driven by acoustic guitars and distorted synths, rather than the 80’s indie soundscapes of “Petals For Armor“. Hayley’s vocals sound more raw and emotional than ever, dealing with her loneliness and struggling to let go of her past break-up with New Found Glory’s Chad Gilbert in songs like “First Thing To Go“, “Asystole“, and “KYRH“.
While quieter and not as polished as 2020’s ‘Petals For Armor’, ‘FLOWERS’ remains even more creative and captivating than its predecessor and showcases her incredible songwriting talent and vulnerability in her music. The record is easily one of the best albums of 2021 so far, taking influences from her pop-punk roots (albeit subdued) in the choruses of “Good Grief” and “My Limb” and combining them with ambient and organic soundscapes often likened to Phoebe Bridgers. According to Hayley, the album serves as a detour and “prequel” to her first album ‘Petals For Armor’, but if the album proves anything, it’s that Hayley doesn’t need to rely on anyone other than herself to make great music.
Stream ‘FLOWERS for VASES / descansos‘ now below:
