Album Review: JamLive - Flower

Dublin based alt-rock band JamLive combine the intricacies of classical music with emotional rock for their debut album, Flower. Their first single, ‘Free,’ was a breathless combination of rap, rock and pop. The group have changed their sound since then, with a more folk-influenced rock style.

Flower features cinematic orchestral arrangements over mellow rock songs, with lead singer J’s delicate and simple melodies. The music and film duo, comprising J and Jacob, hark back to 90’s and early 2000’s rock.

‘Running’ opens the album, and demonstrates J’s diverse vocal tones as he dips in and out of falsetto and raspier textures. The repetitive hook is catchy, and builds into a pulsing post-chorus on a bed of strings.

The title track, ‘Flower,’ doubles down on the orchestral influence and highlights the duo's ability to create spacey soft-rock. There is a timing error right before the second chorus, when Jacob goes off time in the drum fill and J comes in too early. This disrupts the flow, however they get back on track quickly for the rest of the song. ‘Cigarettes on a Sidewalk,’ is the catchiest song on the album – with one of the nicest melodies. J pens a touching love song full of longing.

‘Believe So’ stands out as the infectious, feel-good melody transitions into an intriguingly dissonant outro, which adds another dimension to the song. It’s a carefree track until this transition, where J sings: “There’s too much noise, am I afraid to die? I can’t sleep,” over the ominous music. This is the standout feature, showing that the band can effortlessly take songs in unexpected directions.

J is at his most emotionally vulnerable on 'Listen,' with striking lyrics like: “Happy, just be happy, as my mother cries tonight and in her tears you sell lies.” The emotion in his voice can be heard through the recording.

JamLive mix it up on ‘Watch The Birds Fly,’ with a heavy, distorted guitar and a dystopian synth, which complement J’s vocals well. ‘Jump So High’ features the group at their most hopeful, and demonstrates J’s ability to deliver sweet, poetic lyrics like, “Twirling freely like a lily so alive in the gaze of your eyes.”

Flower progresses at an appropriately slow tempo, with the band taking their time to develop each song. The orchestral arrangements lift each track, and J delivers his vocals with heartfelt emotionality. It’s a sign of artistic growth in the duo, following ‘Free.’

Listen to the album below.