flowerkid - “Vodka Orange Juice”

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 8

Pairs Well With…Claud, Declan McKenna, Quinn Christopherson

Keeping toes in indie pop, folk, and electronic waters, Australian artist flowerkid finds a unique blend on his 2021 EP everyone has a breaking point that exudes warmth while also following a sense of drive. There’s a bedroom-pop spirit in flowerkid’s songwriting, highly introspective and even self-flagellating, but he twists expectations by ensuring his songs sound lush and full. There are minimal moments on the EP as well, but even those tend to eventually get to a space where flowerkid is able to add layers of instrumentation and emotionality equally. The result is heartbreaking. Given flowerkid’s open-heart approach, it’s hard not to feel for him, but there’s hope there in between the lines. High school terrors and coming-of-age insecurity define too many of our paths leading into our early twenties and it is oddly warming to experience flowerkid’s transcription on a bed of comfortable synths and percussion. (Kevin McStravick)