By Myles Tiessen
Florry is perhaps the most charming indie band working today. Their nonchalant songs, crafted for the informality of the streaming era, capture the cool indifference of contemporary indie music. But more than charm, Florry is one of the most deceptively exciting rising bands. Their attitude may be casual, however their talent is anything but.
The Philadelphia band, with principal songwriter and singer Francie Medosch now based in Vermont, approaches their new album, Sounds Like…, with the same easygoing, effortless feel as all great country rockers do. Sounds Like… is loose, heavy on rock licks, fun, and embraces band jams.
The album opens with its best songs, so it seems fair to follow in that path. “First it was a movie, then it was a book” is a southern-fried country-rock masterpiece. Medosch’s sing/speak vocals sound as lively as ever with frequent ad-libs like her “whoops” and “check it outs” peppered throughout, laughing at points and savouring every vocal crack that passes her way. “Well, last night I watched a movie/ Movie made me sad ‘cos I saw myself in everyone/ How’d they make a movie like that?” she howls.
The semi-psychedelic riff-heavy track feels like almost a dozen guitars overlaid on top of each other, and chances are there is. Florry savours every moment of the long instrumental sections, and lays even more riffs between Medosch’s breaths in the verses, squeezing in as much infectious guitar force as they can muster.
Florry has been playing the song live for a while already, but every second of the track feels so fresh; every time you hear it, it strikes you like the first time. If you ever manage to break the infinite cycle of hitting repeat once “First it was a movie” ends, Sounds Like… moves from quiet stillness to noise rock and everything in between without skipping a beat. Like a jam session with friends on the porch, the group moves from song to song, following emotional beats exactly where you want them and hitting all the right spaces between. Each member shines when they want, and no individual feels buried in the mix or more upfront than the next. Well, except that blaring pedal steel gleaming through at every moment, but who would really complain about that?
Florry are graduates from the school of perfect imperfection. Like Neil Young, The Sadies, and fellow Philladophian Kurt Vile, the group finds its identity in the missteps along the way. Notes are sometimes hit wrong, band members come in offbeat, and riffs are hardly ever played the same exact way twice.
The album’s version of “Sexy,” recorded live in Leeds, blends so seamlessly into “Truck Flipped Over ‘19,” that you could easily be convinced everything from there on out was recorded live in concert. There’s a soul to the record that feels active, alive with purpose and distinctive personality. It’s the ineffable quality of what makes music not just good but great.
One of the most admirable aspects of Sounds Like… is how it wears its influences on its sleeves. Whether that’s the lackadaisical peers of MJ Lenderman and Colin Miller, the older country/folk legends of Terry Allen and John Prine, or even the cohesion of The Band, Florry juggles these timeless sounds in such a way that they always feel distinctly themselves. Sounds Like... lives entirely on its own plane of existence.
The group’s casual fulfillment can be traced in their growth from 2023’s The Holey Bible. On Sounds Like…, Florry is more ambitious and unruly, yet more graceful and laidback. The short and snappy “Say Your Prayers Rock” effortlessly blends hook, rhythm, and bold sneering electric guitars into a two-minute bop that makes one of the album’s biggest impressions. Medosch’s folksy voice urges a sign-a-long while also tripping over her own words. It’s the sort of easygoing approach to singing that makes Medosch one of the most engaging vocalists in the game.
While the informality of songs like “Say Your Prayers Rock” and “Big Something” showcase her brilliant stoner ambivalence take on singing, some of her best moments come when she taps into the powerfully ardent part of her voice. “Pretty Eyes Lorraine,” in particular, brings a dusty emotional authenticity reminiscent of Lucinda Williams. “Sad at the movies/ Baby looks likе Barbie/ Not some discount Robbie/ With thosе green eyeees,” Medosch sings, holding that last word until her voice breaks.
To circle back around to the opening track, Medosch, after contemplatively pondering the influence of actor Holly Hunter, sings what could be the buried thesis of the record. “I think I’m just gonna go for watercolor/ Maybe paint by numbers/ I need to see myself doing something and then I won’t be such a bummer.”
Take it one step at a time, and you will find yourself exactly where you need to be: creating something that sounds like… you.