Stars: 4/5
Hayley Williams’ “FLOWERS for VASES/descansos” translates what the process of recovering from heartbreak is like. I almost want to say that it is poetry brought to life. There is something so raw and gentle, yet so heart-wrenching within the 42 minutes of this album.
Venturing off to a folkier, somber sound from 2020’s “Petals For Armor,” Williams takes the listener down a path of both unrequited love and mourning. Nostalgia breathes throughout the 14 tracks, then later wraps itself into a blanket of self-reflection.
Williams describes it as “much of a songwriter’s album as I ever made” in an interview with Zane Lowe through Apple Music. “FLOWERS for VASES/descansos” serves as the prequel to “Petals of Armor.”
The album opens with “First Thing To Go,” which entails losing the memory of the voice of someone from a past relationship. “My Limb” is a more upbeat song centered on letting go of a relationship — or cutting it off like a limb. Medical imagery continues in “Asystole,” which has the acoustic guitar’s arrangement resemble a heartbeat.
Williams explores her experiences in toxic relationships in “Trigger,” the fourth song of the LP. The chorus “’Cause I got the trigger, but you hold the gun/How come you never put the safety on?” is repeated in the outro. It has two meanings: a person is left with a psychological trigger caused by the relationship, and the other explains the control dynamics of said relationship.
“Over The Hills” is one of my favorites due to its wistful relatability and the electric guitar’s riff. It fills the void of the “what ifs” of past relationships and the fantasy of going back to each other.
“Good Grief” adds to the emotional saga of moving on and mourning a relationship. “Wait On” uses a metaphor of the sky, clouds and birds to describe the need to cry and release emotions. “KYRH” almost is an intermission for the whole album with its instrumental. The song focuses more on the production and ambiance with a tense progression.
The song that made me burst into tears was “Inordinary.” I don’t know why, but it did. The instrumental is gentle. It mixes nostalgia and simplicity. Williams reminisces on her youth, moving to Tennessee from Mississippi and Paramore’s origins. It looks into how the simplest of things become special.
“HYD” has the best intro and the core of heartbreak. “No Use I Just Do” covers just loving someone. Being there for someone through their personal issues is the main idea in “Find Me Here.”
“Descansos” is a full instrumental. Descansos are memorials placed on the road at the site of an unexpected death. Williams liked a tweet about Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes’ book, “Women Who Run with the Wolves,” which discusses turning betrayal and deep losses or other pivotal moments into descansos and acknowledges how it shaped them.
To close the album, “Just a Lover” takes one to another universe almost. The instrumental is a total shift from the rest of the album. It is my favorite because of its whole vibe and the instrumental change. “Just a Lover” is ineffable for me. I love it so much that I probably had it on loop for an hour some days.
At first, it was a change of style. I didn’t go in expecting the same sound from Paramore’s albums. I found “FLOWERS for VASES/descansos” purely authentic. I enjoy albums the most when artists are writing genuine life experiences through storytelling and poking at different themes.
Though this album will most likely become one of my favorites of the year, there are moments when songs blur into one another, but not in a transitional way. It’s more sonically where there isn’t a standout sound. To some, it can be a bore and for others, it can bring relief.
Personally, this album pulled out emotions that I pushed down months and years. I don’t want every single album to break through genres or be a phoenix. I want stories, self-expression, self-reflection and I want to feel something. Williams’ music does that effectively with pure authenticity.