On their debut full-length album, 2017's
come out. you're hiding
, Oregon's
Flor
make effusive, sparkling, synth-based pop that's just as accessible, utilitarian, and stylishly designed as the bright, modular carpet-squares they share a name with. Lead singer/songwriter
Zachary Grace
has a sweetly delicate, often breathy croon that the band frames in shimmering keyboards, pulsing basslines, kinetic bits of electric guitar, and jaunty midtempo grooves. Try and imagine a more cherubic male version of
Imogen Heap
's yearning electronic sound and you'll get a sense of what
Grace
and
are going for here. In that sense, they fit nicely alongside other similarly inclined bands like
the Naked and Famous
,
M83
, and
St. Lucia
. There are some nice hooks here, and cuts like the lead-off "Guarded," "Warm Blood," and the buoyant
1975
-esque "Where Do You Go" work as memorable mixtape fodder, with enough melodic juice and rhythmic pulse to keep you bopping along. Overall,
's songs fit into a background aesthetic, a pleasing amalgam of scene setting, perfect for stylish mid-day outings, relaxed coffee shop get-togethers, and, of course, movie soundtrack romance. ~ Matt Collar