After entering the scene with their strong 2011 debut, Native Speaker, Montreal-based BRAIDS are back with their second full-length album, Flourish // Perish. It’s clear that the band has developed a slightly different sound from their debut record, likely due to the split with keyboardist/vocalist Katie Lee in 2012. BRAIDS’ sound is now equal parts vocals (courtesy of lead singer Raphaelle Standell-Preston) and sprawling, ethereal, complex, post-rock, electronic beats and arrangements. Flourish // Perish is at its best when these two elements work in harmony, not in opposition to each other.
“Fruend” and “Ebben” are striking tracks in their simplicity compared to the rest of the album. Standelle-Preston’s vocals are highlighted against the sparse, albeit still electronic, beats. “Fruend” ebbs and flows, incorporating different instrumental and electronic elements throughout to build a wonderful tension that puts the vocals front and center. “Ebben” features less of the powerful vocals, but the way the electronic beat modestly builds up is reminiscent of any good Radiohead song. Both “Fruend” and “Ebben” also masterfully include background vocals that give these tracks a more intimate feeling; little bursts of light and warmth amidst an overall wintry album.
The longer electronic songs on the album, “Together”, “Amends” and the final track, “In Kind”, are like LCD Soundsytem at their best, acting as master classes in electronic beat-making. On each of these tracks, BRAIDS adds in the instrumental and electronic elements one at a time, educating the listener on how much work goes into creating the perfect backbeat.
The album also features instances where the band experiments with different influences and styles before returning to their electronic home base. “Hossak” begins with an ethereal sound that recalls Sigur Ros before returning to a relatively sparse electronic arrangement showcasing Standell-Preston’s vocal range. On “Girl”, the album’s shortest song and quasi “black sheep,” the piano and subdued vocals recall fellow Canadian Feist‘s quieter songs. I kept waiting for the song to break into a larger beat, but only static was added. The last few seconds of the song are completely quiet, though, and the space for reflection is really stunning. With Flourish // Perish, BRAIDS has created an album with an understated intensity that makes me very excited to see them live.