Review Summary: we live in a society
At first glance, there may not be many consistencies across Poppy’s career. From strange is-she-a-robot YouTube videos to bubblegum is-she-a-robot pop songs to becoming a touring-with-BMTH metal heartthrob to whatever the hell we have arrived at today, it’s been an intriguing journey. Yet, the project’s primary motif can be found in this very clusterfuckiness: Poppy has always left people confused. Sure, some people were confused by the mere act of ever so slightly mismatching audio and video, but the real confusion can be found in persistent why?-questions. Why does [any of] this exist? What’s the point? Is the point that there is no point? Uhh...
Perhaps that’s where Poppy’s greatest strength lies: she and her collaborators have seemingly always been aware that it doesn’t take much to confuse people. Returning to this first glance, the project has never been
that weird. Sure, it has never followed trends and conventions to a T, but the real questions/hype/confusion arose when viewers/listeners/consumers started digging for meaning. Even now, with Poppy’s fourth full length album
Flux there’s a good amount of uncertainties surrounding its relatively low-key release. Was it recorded before or after the excellent hardcore-infused EP
EAT? Probably before, so does that mean we should see the EP as a natural progression of this album, or should the records be interpreted according to release date? If so, why do either projects sound the way they do, and how can we map
Flux and 2020’s metal-pop opus
I Disagree in a way that makes any kind of sense? What relates to what in what way, how does it correlate, what is happen?
Goddammit. She’s done it again. Two paragraphs of attempted sense-making without even getting to discussing the music on
Flux, and what do I have to show for it? A vague conclusion that perhaps there is no deeper meaning? A vague generalisation of how
society is a lot like, you know dude, a society? God, I don’t know, so let’s just say that
Flux is a wonderfully executed take on 90’s alternative rock and grunge by the, eh,
multi-faceted artist Poppy. Good, yes.
The record is highly consistent, with each of its nine tracks boasting distorted guitars and a relatively laid-back, playful feel. Thankfully, this coherence doesn’t result in homogeny: the opening one-two of ‘Flux’ and ‘Lessen the Damage’ illustrates this right from the start. The title track is an expansive experience, coming across as a sort of summarisation of 2021 Poppy: it expertly unites frantic guitar work, subdued vocals, addictive choruses and a deliciously explosive finale. ‘Lessen the Damage’, on the other hand, is a punky rapid-fire track, blasting through its two minutes by feeling more 90’s than... most of the actual 90’s, I guess. It could have come off as a cheap schtick, if it weren’t for Poppy’s absolute dedication to the aesthetic. Everything about
Flux reinforces its atmosphere, from the fuzzily clean production to the vocals gelling excellently as they find themselves somewhat buried in the mix. Thankfully, this does not mean that Poppy trades identity for consistency: her trademark haphazard songwriting still shines through, if more refined and tailored to the record.
This is especially clear in
Flux’s superior second half. ‘Bloom’ introduces itself with a manic riff, before equally disjointed drums provide the bulk of the track’s sonic canvas for Poppy to apply herself to. Adding to the track’s dynamic nature, it bleeds heavenly piano-driven choruses into an eerie meltdown comprising terrifying whispers and indistinct quips during its final moments. In turn, this unnerving finale makes way for the album’s incredible closing cuts. ‘As Strange As It Seems’ dives headfirst into the realm of shoegaze, feeling like a natural conclusion to the rather subdued aura
Flux presents. It masterfully obscures Poppy’s vocals to an even greater extent and, by extension, its lyrics, allowing listeners to simply bask in its heavenly ambience or explore its heavy topics and excellent songwriting. ‘As Strange As It Seems’ succinctly describes an abusive relationship, finding a striking balance between detail and accessibility. It transforms its verses from “
You showed no regard for me” to “
I showed no regard for me”, requiring little linguistic fanfare to reach the depths of what it examines.
‘Never Find My Place’ takes these dreamy stylings and brings
Flux to a highly satisfying conclusion. The song increases in intensity as the record’s end edges closer, eventually introducing yet another distorted, unnerving riff before culminating in a wonderful cocktail of Poppy’s croons, screams and yells as the album collapses in on itself. Finishing on an apparent acceptance of uncertainty,
Flux’s lyrical themes may be the best indication of how it should (or shouldn’t) be viewed in relation to Poppy’s discography: if the artist herself is capable of admitting that ambiguity is OK, why wouldn’t the listener do the same? Oh, right, because we’ll always try to make sense out of everything, even when there isn’t much to make sense out of. Either way,
Flux is an excellent album. Yay!
