FIRST STEPS FOR FLORENCE ROAD: “FALL BACK” SETS THE TONE
On June 20, Florence Road released their highly anticipated debut EP Fall Back, marking the band’s long-awaited return. The Irish-born four-piece Florence Road have been trailblazers in music since their debut single in 2022, growing their following through posting online. Made up of vocalist Lily Aron, guitarist Emma Brandon, bassist Ailbhe Barry and drummer Hannah Kelly, Florence Road has quickly cemented their place in the alternative scene. Florence Road has been keeping the touring road hot with a support slot for Olivia Rodrigo under their belt, as well as two more opening spots lined up with Wallows in the UK and with Royel Otis in Australia.
HAND ME DOWNS
“Hand Me Downs” is a powerful opening to Fall Back, with gritty guitar, crashing drums and introspective lyrics. The track opens with mellow plucked strings and soft vocals that develop into a crashing symphony of intensity, accompanied by phenomenal vocals from Aron. The track cycles through these levels of intensity throughout, emphasizing the emotional extremity. “Hand Me Downs” unpacks the weight of growing up, grappling with inherited expectations, family legacy and the pressure to live up to it. Aron sings, “If it's part of my bones / Given to me / Guess I'll take it and go.” The weight we carry is built into us, and though we did not choose it we move forward. The song reaches its emotional peak in the final pre-chorus and chorus, where the instrumental swells under the singer’s unique voice, “Creatures of habit, how we inherit / Good and the bad, the joy and the worry / It will grow back even if you try and cut it off.” These lyrics speak to the inescapable nature of emotional inheritance and to ingrained patterns that, despite any attempt to escape them, inevitably return..
GOODNIGHT
“Goodnight” is a straight-to-the-point breakup anthem that blends indie pop and rock influences to deliver a vindictive track that hits post-breakup pettiness right on the nose. Sharp and self-assured, “Goodnight” captures the defiant impulse to prove just how much better off things are without them. From the opening line, the track hits full throttle on pettiness, “I'll know all the songs you like / And I'll play 'em twice / Just out of spite,” she sings. The first verse upholds this pettiness with Aron apologizing for taking all their friends, though she does not seem too earnest in the apology, “Sorry that I took all of our friends / But, in fairness, you shoulda put up a better defence / And the jury's out, and the verdict's in / And, no matter what, you know I'm gonna win.”
“Goodnight” oozes with confidence and the empowerment felt from walking away on one’s own terms.
Graphic by Emma Ransom / Crave Music Magazine
CATERPILLAR
On “Caterpillar,” Florence Road leans into vulnerability, with an emotionally raw ballad that captures the tangled inner monologue of anxiety and change. Aron’s raw vocals soar through the track, backed by a delicate acoustic guitar. Aron sings, “Caterpillar hatching in my chest / Oh I hate it when I’m not at my best.” There is a transformation happening like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, but it's uncomfortable like growth that hurts before healing. The image of a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly in her chest evokes the visceral, almost suffocating feeling of anxiety. Through the bridge of the track the lead singer admits, “I don’t wanna feel like I did yesterday / So I’ll play and I’ll play and I’ll play.” Restless, frustrated and yearning for a release, she turns to anything to avoid sitting still.
FIGURE IT OUT
“Figure It Out” is a bass heavy track with swirling guitars and commanding percussion. The track explores the push and pull between craving intimacy and fearing its collapse. “Like a moth to flame, you say I can stay,” Aron sings, suggesting their relationship is self-destructive and conditional and she cannot stay away from the emotional danger of it. Through the chorus Aron comes to terms that their relationship will not be anything more, but still clings to it. “Starting to accept / That it’s as good as it’ll get / Oh, I’m so glad you haven’t figured it out,” she sings. The track surges in intensity through the second half, climbing towards its peak after a guitar solo break. Aron chants “figure it out,” through the outro like a desperate mantra.
HEAVY
Kicking off the release cycle and closing out the tracklist, “Heavy” ties Fall Back together. The track utilizes jagged, buzzing guitars and raw vocals to establish the heaviness of the track. “Heavy” confronts the weight of feeling overwhelmed by inner turmoil. Through the track the vocalist sings to another person, someone who she turns to for optimistic support. In desperation Aron sings, “Tell me / Tell me it’s not that heavy / Lie to my face and beg me not to cry.” She knows the weight of what they feel and still wants this person to console her even if she does not believe it, which she admits later on in the song during the second verse. ”Haven't bought what you sold me / Your hope rings like a constant shout / Help me out of this cycle / Wanna swap how we think for the rest.” Aron admires this person’s mindset and desperately wants to see it how they do, but all it does is just alienates her further in feeling this way.
Fall Back signals a bold new chapter for Florence Road, one marked by emotional grit and a raw, evolving edge.
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