“scent is the most underrated artform — so much of it is entangled with emotion, mood and memory.”
Desperate Flower, the sophomore album by Oakland’s Welcome Strawberry, is ostensibly a concept piece about olfactory memory. It’s also the kind of record that’s so exciting, it makes you want to text all of your friends.
On their first single “Memory Cube,” a propulsive intro breaks into shimmering dream pop, with co-vocalists singing in a shoegazey dual voice. But the track takes yet another turn when their dense haze crashes into chaotic noise. By superimposing genre, Welcome Strawberry activates the parts of your brain that crave pop melodies as well as the parts seeking jagged dissonance. The overall effect is masterful, like hearing two different songs from two different rooms magically colliding into something entirely original.
Desperate Flower is out Aug 25 on à La Carte Records and Cherub Dream Records. Catch Welcome Strawberry at the 4-Star Theater on Saturday, August 23rd with Aluminum and Whitney’s Playground.
