White Flowers - Within A Dream EP

Third and possibly best EP from the Preston two-piece, who are on a pretty compelling run right now. Working with White Chalk producer Ali Chant, here they channel a very grandiose style of dreampop, that's equal parts major label(/best?) era Cocteau Twins, shoegaze melodrama and the sensual whisper of 4ADs much overlooked, Insides. For the most part, these are very BIG sounding songs, and it's actually refreshing to hear a pair of young-uns not hiding their songs in murky lo-fi gloom and embracing such vivid production, helped hugely by Katie Drew's Lisa Gerard style vocal (yeah, it's a hell of a voice). And it also makes the contrast with the very delicate home recording of Mama Cass 'Didn't Want to Have To Do It' that closes out this four song set all that more affecting. So many bands out there getting this kinda thing totally wrong. White Flowers make good by going full steam into their influences and inspirations, and come out the other side a grand & gleaming monochromatic blast of light. Edition of 300 on clear vinyl