Dain Griffin – Dead Flowers

Dain Griffin started life, well now!.  Originally in the Phoenix band Merit, he has now risen just like the Phoenix itself from the depths of self destruction, as he himself says “I had to find other ways to deal with my mental health other than self-medicating”, so to that end Dead Flowers was born and becomes his first solo outing into the world of albums.

‘The Truth About The Thirties’ is as good an opener as you could get, it not only drives home right from the first notes, just how original and relevant he can be, but it also sets out the stall for how this album takes in life after the first initial blast of youth.  A musical breath of fresh melodic air wafts over you as you listen, and lyrically its like a reading a good biography that doesn’t hold back.

What this album does best is to take the lyrical genius that comes from Dain, wrap each song in something sympathetic to its needs, ‘Dead Flowers’ for example, hits heights where its needed, giving some power pop/rock guitar and slamming drums, but then it slows up and drives home the emotional content with some stunning string plucks and thumping beats.    

Being older and having been through so much in such a short time, is something that gives you a sense of life, it also has a levelling effect on you, this is something that seems to shine through within the core of this album, ‘I wish I had An Invisibility Cloak’ with its acoustic and brass sound, has a reflective feel, were as ‘Do Your Worst’ with its angst filled driven sound, gives off a more realisation of fallibility, then ‘This Is The End’  drops down slow and thoughtful at first, but then has just enough power to hit home the message of looking back at a life of self destruction and how in hindsight this time of your life could have been the end and not the beginning it should be, a beautiful lament on mistakes and again that moment of mortality, which is a theme throughout, or at least I took this from the album.

If you like your music to be non other than uncomplicated and yet layered with great song writing, then this is for you, but don’t expect something angst filled and revolutionary, more of a considered reality check.

Out on February 3rd via Hidden home Records

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