Snarls – What About Flowers?

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Those kids grow up fast, don’t they? Snarls have knocked all of the expectations for their band out of the park on their great new EP called, What About Flowers? On this Chris Walla-produced effort, this young band have absolutely floored me with their growth as songwriters, musicians, and people in general. When I last spoke with the band, they could hardly contain their excitement in discussing their new EP that comes shimmering through the speakers on its first listen. While their debut, Burst, found the band exploring what would “stick” best in their sound, What About Flowers? finds Snarls at their most focused and driven.

The first single released from this effort is the almost out of place song, “Fixed Gear,” that has a different guitar tone than the rest of the material that follows. In retrospect, it may have made more sense for this song to be a stand-alone single rather than kick-off this collection of songs, but it’s still a song I’m glad Snarls have birthed into this world. It features a great, driving beat, and is rounded out by complex guitar parts and beautifully harmonized and layered vocals. While the band was worried about more fans clinging to this sound of this track, rather than the rest of more synchronous material that follows, it’s still very much a song Snarls should be proud of creating.

”For You” starts off with a down-trodden tone that is reminiscent of early 90’s grunge material that broods, rather than rocks. The way the track unfolds from start to finish only speaks to Snarls’ ability to convey such a wide range of emotions in their songs. The lyrics explain the complexity of relationships with veteran poise as they sing, “I used to think that you were / An angel / But only when you’d say the words / That meant everything / I couldn’t tell you why / I’m a fool for you.” Their improved songwriting can be credited partly to the partnership with Chris Walla, but by hearing some of the early “breadcrumbs” of potential on Burst, a part of me always knew that Snarls had this inside of them.

My personal favorite comes in the form of the second single, “I’ll Follow You,” that is a sweeping ballad of being head over heels in love with that person that means the most to you. I found the second verse to be particularly powerful with the lyrics of, “No, the world doesn’t care / If you feel alone / Into the flames / We fucking go / Oh, in my heart I don’t know where to start / To lift off but I think for now / I’ll follow you / Like it’s the last thing I’ll ever do.” The song is heartfelt, honest, and still keeps a beating heart of purpose on explaining what it means to be infatuated with that person that makes us feel whole.

”Sparkling” brings some nice complexities to the EP that is filled with breathtaking moments across the board. The guitar tones in particular on this song come across vibrantly and are as colorful as the band themselves. The band never rushes out their point behind each song, and with that comes a layer of mystery that makes Snarls that much more endearing. By the time you reach the closer, “If Only,” you’ve come to realize that Snarls are not the same band that appeared on Burst. Instead, they’ve morphed into the best versions of themselves to make a record that feels worthy of immediate praise. The third verse on “If Only” sold it for me with well-thought out lines of, “I hate how you are so far away / What I’d do to get you close to me / I’m so sick of feeling like a ghost / Could you love somebody you can’t see?” Again, this cloud of mystery brought forth on What About Flowers? really pays off in a big way for this young band who is just discovering their potential as a unit. What About Flowers? I think it may make more sense to call this case, “What About Brilliance?”

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