EP Review: The Rite of Spring | Flowers for Juno

Having recently immersed myself into the universe of Flowers for Juno, I am excited to share my thoughts on their brand new EP, The Rite of Spring, which marks their return to the Music Sanctum. This release feels like a significant building block for the band as they expand their sonic landscape. Compared to their previous work, this addition to their discography offers a much more vibrant palette. To the listener, it is an ultraviolet mixture of Depeche Mode and Cocteau Twins - combining dark-synth depth with a newfound brightness.

The Rite of Spring opens with Buckcherry Wrote a Song About Girls Like You, which feels like being thrust into the lightspeed tunnel at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey - a tractor beam that lures the listener into an electrifying, haunting space. This is followed closely by I go to strip clubs but just for the music, a heavily percussive and guttural track. The transition feels almost like whiplash, yet it remains a signature of the band; the glitchiness and dark vocal delivery are hallmarks of Flowers for Juno. Dolphin Girl showcases the melodic sensibilities that have become a Flowers for Juno trademark, making it an instant standout...but then the instrumental Strippernaut comes unexpectedly, introducing funk-inspired rhythms and fresh tempos as we see the band having fun while keeping their fundamental "spinal cord" intact.

For some reason, Marilyn Manson keeps popping into my head as the vocals go completely dark in Crack Den Blues. There’s a palpable sense of disturbia coursing through the track, carried by eerie vocals and high-pitched siren-like instrumentals that illuminate its shadowy corners. As for the closing louisekeelbe.jpg / Scratch My Itch (intro), it gently tickles the 80s nostalgia stored deep within the hippocampus, recalling an era when experimental instrumentation and vocal layering were at the forefront of alternative music. A euphoric and cathartic outro for this latest entry of the band.

Ultimately, Flowers for Juno offers impressive variety in this project with each track feeling like a personal adventure, possessing a levity that contrasts with the heaviness of Bacchanalia Coppélia. The band maintains their signature grit and grime while successfully venturing into new, clearer territories. While hot pink often dominates their visual identity, The Rite of Spring acts as a prism for their sound. It is proof that a band can maintain its DNA while stepping through new creative doors. A truly admirable latest chapter in the band’s growing catalog and their willingness to lean into transformation.

Listen to The Rite of Spring here:

https://open.spotify.com/album/1mKdCtJXlOiTQ61v5jZGmg?si=LDPdSEzLSmCiV7kxa80hkw