Floral Print unveils debut album, 'Woo'

• Courtesy Floral Print

There’s a charming sense of haphazardness to Floral Print, a relatively new group featuring Nathan Springer of Narrator (guitar, vocals), George Pettis of 100 Watt Horse (bass, vocals), and CL music scribe Paul DeMerritt (drums, keyboards). After playing just a handful of live shows and releasing a single-track demo issued via Bandcamp (download for the low-low price of $1,000), the trio gathered with Graham Tavel to record and produce Woo, Floral Prints’ debut album. The group's Facebook page describes Floral Print's sound as “bipolar nerd rock,” which is totally fitting, as it nods to both the trio’s self-deprecating sense of humor and its wiry proficiency in writing rock songs in rather geeky modes.

The album's opening number, “El Cerrito Plaza (For Logan),” rushes in with its jerky rhythm and manic but comfortable shifts in delivery from falsetto to indie standard. With a little help from Warehouse’s Ben Jackson on trombone, the trio jumps from jazzy interludes to jangly indie pop in a single track, resembling a lighter take on former Atlanta tempo-jumpers Blame Game, all the while keeping its gaze focused on rural eccentricities. “Plant Parenthood” is a little more straightforward, plowing through its catchy squall with the modest fervor culled from the mines of classic C86 bands. The short but potent title track gives a bit of breathing room to reflect on preceding and proceeding action, resembling Springer’s work with Narrator more than anything else. “Count the Sea” and closer “Snooze Alarm/Infinite Bliss Machine” are a bit more subdued, pointing to near-post rock levels of buildup and ambiance, without losing the frantic catchiness the band has perfected in its brief lifetime.

★★★☆☆

woo by floral print

Catch Floral Print on its brief tour of the Southeast:

May 4th - Sarasota, FL
May 5th - Orlando, FL
May 6th - Athens, GA - at the Globe
May 7th - Asheville, NC
May 8th - Knoxville, TN - at the Pilot Light