Emily Alone

This is an extremely gentle solo record that Florist frontperson Emily Sprague wrote in response to the death of her mother. There are very few elements here other than voice and acoustic or soft electric guitar, but this record doesn't follow a rock-songs-but-unplugged conceit: the minimalism and Sprague's expressions match the subject matter perfectly, and even the transitions between parts of the songs feel muted and intuitive. The lyrics are questing, questioning, impressionistic, and powerful. I was a Florist skeptic before this—Sufjan Stevens and his many disciples don't do much for me, and neither do most Florist scene friends like Frankie Cosmos—but this bowled me over, completely. It's a truly outstanding singer-songwriter record. RIYL Mount Eerie's mourning songs, Sibylle Baier, early Boduf Songs, Lung Cycles, Itasca. Favorites: 2, 4, 5, 11, 12. No FCCs.

1. (4:02)—Slow, barely-there fingerpicking picks up a little major-chord energy over time. "I could have words / Or I could have solitude."
2. *(3:05)—Faster, with slightly ominous verses against more buoyant choruses.
3. (4:27)—Slow. Pastoral synth and eletric guitar tinges. Spoken word start, feels very 90s post-rock. Water sounds.
4. *(4:16)—Tense, soft mid-tempo strumming. Synth drones and bloops. Dark and sung with weariness.
5. *(3:34)—This song, more than any other here, feels like it could be transformed into a rock & roll barnburner. It makes the wide-eyed restraint that much more powerful.
6. (2:36)—High mid-tempo fingerpicked electric guitar, high vocals. This song seems to rise into the air.
7. (2:47)—Very slow, woozy keyboard piano. Walking sounds. Breathy, drifting falsetto.
8. (3:01)—Mid-tempo electric guitar fingerpicking. One of the most upbeat-sounding songs here.
9. (3:35)—Slowish electric guitar, wistful Sibylle-Baier-ish vocal expressions.
10. (1:17)—Multitracked free tempo acoustic guitar, spoken word.
11. *(3:40)—Slow start, picks up. Pleasant, sunny melancholy. Rhythm and vocal delivery reminiscent of Big Thief.
12. *(3:22)—Multitracked midtempo guitars, multitracked vocal whispers. Soothing.