Music Review: Formaneaux - Jamaican Flower

Formaneaux finds stable footing with his guitar, a clear instrumentation that feels active and forward-moving. His new single “Jamaican Flower” testifies to this relationship as it captures the essence of a crucial instrument, which makes his airy dream-rock entirely breathtaking. But this all works in favor of an artist who prioritizes craft above all else. There are no epic builds, no clever transitions on the song but the dreamy effects often reverberate to the point of oblivion.

Formaneaux doesn’t so much directly address the state of his intimate emotions as vividly as he does conjure the moment-to-moment sensations of existing within it, forever teetering on the tightrope walk between luminous reality and calming bliss. He writes about feelings of dreamy-romance but rarely goes deeper, offering little insight to his own experiences and never explaining why his so good at inviting you into his world, you just get to feel it. His guitar skills prove that he can whip up a potent mix of melodies. He tightens the slackness which by and large is not achievable by many artists and the fluid energy is actually the product of fine-tuning and focus. Formaneaux seems like the kind of artist whose willing and eager to embark on extended flights of psychedelic fancy or just let his rock jams unspool for the sake of it.

His five-minute plus song provides multiple accessible entry points into his boundless experimental canon. He channels his own radical spirit implicitly into a work that’s perpetually reaching for a higher level of consciousness while embodying the struggle to achieve it amid the distractions of modern life. One-third of the way in, after a steady build, the artist locks into a hypnotic, warmly lit melody and lingers on it for several minutes, providing the track with the closest thing it has to chill vibes. All of which is to say, “Jamaican Flower” demands a lot of your time, and rewards your patience handsomely.

And the music video doesn’t disappoint either. Imagine yourself on a romantic getaway with your significant other. As suggestive as the title gets, you can both find yourself in Jamaica where you’re served up with miles of coral-colored beaches, gem-like private coves and crystal-like turquoise waters. While both of you get to enjoy a peaceful day of basking in the sun, “Jamaican Flower” provides the perfect soundtrack to delightful images of a tropical landscape that easily inspires romance. Few experiences are more tranquil than this, with plenty of suggestions to decipher where the blue sky kisses the ocean. Enjoying the simple life couldn’t have evolved better through a more fluid, organic process, where even the subtlest of changes eventually has a profound effect on such a song.