INDIE ALTERNATIVE ROCK

The band Petal is singer-songwriter Kiley Lotz; no other musicians are credited. A fine set of songs with hummable, earworm melodies is anchored by Lotz’s strong soprano voice. Rock-band accompaniment is variously led by guitar or piano. Styles range from strummed folk to hard-edged rock to bouncy pop. The lyrics (on included booklet) tell of a difficult path through mental health issues: feelings of anger, resentment & heartache come through in all the songs. Tough going, but a record well worth listening to and playing.

FCC is tracks 4 and 9

1 ** Fast, hard driving rock song. Upbeat girl-group spirit (think Bangles). Loud guitar, drums. Exposes the emotional gap between performer & audience. Very good song. (2:49)
2 ** Mid-tempo. Beautiful singing set to power chords & pounding drums. Deeply emotional & cynical: life is coming apart. The titles of the album’s two “sides” are here in these lyrics: a dualism of desperation & hope. (3:49)
3 * Slow. Folk-rock ballad. Strummed electric-acoustic & a tragically vulnerable voice. A bad relationship with astronomy metaphors. (4:52)
4 ** (FCC: f’ing) Slow folk ballad. Strummed acoustic & devastated, heartbroken voice. The very moment of a breakup & breakdown. (3:16)
5 Slow sad ballad. Strummed guitar. The breakup has happened, heartache endures. (4:27)
6 Very slow & minimal, but picks up & builds a little as it goes on. It’s gone, over. (4:21)
7 Slow. A ballad of lost love. The past relationship is revealed to be a lesbian one. A sort of gentle, jazzy accompaniment of hollow-body guitar, piano & drums. (4:17)
8 * Very slow. Acoustic guitar & vox. Cathartic lashing out. I wish we’d never met. (2:34)
9 * (FCC: f’ing) Heartbroken song on piano. RIYL Joni Mitchell’s “River.” (3:46)
10 Slow w just piano. Then mid-tempo w guitar & drums. Looking back finally with a few fond memories & kind words. (3:55)