Day By Day. White Flowers

The most modern music I've ever heard was in an episode of the original 'Star Trek' series where a party was organised for the whole crew with drinks, music and dancing. The composer no doubt was asked to come up with the weirdest sounds he could come up with, while still being able to dance to. The, undoubtedly male, composer had to think a few hundred years ahead and imagine music then.

Why are you writing this, you may ask? Well because the dreamy, futuristic music of White Flowers reminded me of that 'Star Trek' episode. Not that White Flowers makes music that is totally beyond the place where no man has boldly gone before, no, because it is almost transcendent and that is what that 'Start Trek' music, in my memory, was as well.

Single 'Daylight' had already found its way to this blog and created some expectations that are filled in to the dot on Day By Day. The duo from Preston in Lancashire, Joey Cobb and Katie Drew, after a stint in London returned to their place of birth to make Day By Day. Together with producer Jez Williams (ex-The Doves) they recorded the songs they took years to write and hone.

The album is dreamy from the very start. The music is other worldly, as if it reaches us from another dimension. Despite there being a hint of Goldfrapp's first album in here, at best this influence can be seen as a starting point to bounce off from, hard. That brings me in Charlotte Gainsbourg territory. Because of the voice of Katie Drew things change once again as Drew's voice has an even dreamier quality than the music has, but also is far more mature in sound than Gainsbourg. This fact brings White Flowers into its own territory. The choices it makes in the music are, however subtle, more radical. Like the ripples in a pond caused by the proverbial stone.

Promo photo

An example of the more radical solutions are the long-sounding, heavily delayed guitar swoops that underscore some of the songs, giving them a psychedelic edge but also a rocking injection. A recklessness in tranquil, dreamlike state. Sometimes in the form of a short eruption, others as the ground pattern mixed deeper into the song. It results in surprises that at first may even be missed if the dreaminess is what the listener focuses on primarily. Day By Day is an album that can surprise its listeners in several ways. Especially to the superficial listener, so I can imagine, it could appear to be super boring, who is not paying attention to what is really on offer.

Summing up, is Day By Day totally original? No, it is not, but the combination of dreamy, futuristic rhythms and sounds with many things that come from the past, makes for interesting and pleasant listening. With the option to fascinate and grow deeper.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order Day By Day here:

https://whiteflowersssss.bandcamp.com/album/day-by-day

or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g