Music Review // Softcult "When a Flower Doesn't Grow"

https://softcult.bandcamp.com/album/when-a-flower-doesnt-grow

This album begins with a piano intro, which I feel like there was a time that a lot of albums did this (or had them midway through the album) but perhaps we don't hear it as much any more so this is a nice way to start.   We go into big, dreamy shoegaze which can be amplified by the bass line on songs such as "Pill To Swallow" and "Naive".  This reminds me of both Nirvana and Hole, covering all of those bases seemingly, as at times this can be dreamy where you space out and other times it's just heavy.

During the next two songs the lyrics seem to share a similar theme.   "16/25" has lyrics which are both speaking and screaming, as they discuss a relationship where one person is 16 years old and the other is 25 years old.  The chorus says "She doesn't know how to love you / She doesn't know how to drive / She doesn't know how to touch you / She's 16, you're 25".  It's always kind of seemed weird when people who were over 21 and could get into bars would hang out with people who couldn't, but however you view it, yeah, don't be the older person dating the younger person..

"She Said, He Said" has similar vibes with the lyrics "Now it's her word against his / But he's your friend / So you've gotta take his side" and it just kind of goes on to detail a lot of things which come down to people just needing to believe victims.    "Hurt Me" has all the makings of a single, with the hook of "You can't hurt me" and then "Queen of Nothing" makes me think about the Weakened Friends song "Queen of Town" and how we need more songs about queens but in that way where we kind of look down on them.  "Tired!" is an absolute banger while we end with the last song, the titular track, which is just acoustic and pretty.

Overall "When A Flower Doesn't Grow" is an album where a lot of times the songs have the title in the chorus so you can easily know what they are called.   The way that Softcult begins this album in a dremy way, which can lure you in like magic, but then throughout the songs the mood can shift to feelings less relaxed (and even closer to anger) just shows the range.  If you picked one of these songs and made an entire album based on that sound it would be great.  But the way that this album has different sounds within each song makes this even better.