Big changes are a part of life. Whether or not you’re prepared is irrelevant, as sometimes these twists of fate can be both a hardship and an incredible blessing. Joy of the 4th by Bhopal’s Flowers is a sunny album that celebrates the joys of bringing new life into the world with a unqiue instrumental combination of captivating sounds the capture the overwhelming emotion this event brings.
Joy of the 4th, the titular track, starts it all off. The intro is dreamy as your ears magnetize to each pull of the strings of the mysterious and alluring sounds of the sitar. The taps of the drumsticks are the only warning you get, however, before the bass drum wakes you up from the previous dreaminess. It picks you back up quickly, however, with a bouncy bass groove and a kickin’ drum beat that work well with the wavy sitar plucks. The soft, dreamy vocals preserve the mysterious air established in the beginning of the track, however, keeping the dreamy aesthetic alive. The bass groove is dynamic, changing from bouncy to a more wavy groove to pull the listener through the track. The titular track established a bouncy and sunny aesthetic, with just a tad of trippiness thanks to the wavy vocals and synths.
Byrd of the Tree embraces a plethora of wonderful instrumentals, from the beautiful sitars to fluttering flutes. The signature trippy, wavy vocals lead you on a journey through the track, navigating you through the symphonic middle-eastern flair of the track that springs to life throughout the track. You can feel yourself melting into lines such as “bird of the tree, sing you’re free” and serve to immerse you in the beautiful sounds that evoke a strong cultural calling.
Walking on Rainbow is another noteworthy track. The deep, deep bass groove grabs a hold from the top and hits you right in the hips to get you moving. While it doesn’t pull you out of your seat, the beat it sets is undeniable and works itself perfectly into the rest of the track as it springs to life with the kick of a drum and the plucks of the sitars. This rock-inspired track is full of positive energy that celebrates life, as reflected in lyrics such as “colored mangoes growing in the fluffy snow, may the stars shine high wherever you go” and captures the joy of loving a newborn son. Walking On Rainbow is a stand-out track with a great bass groove along with an uplifting and sunny aesthetic that could just sneak onto your playlist.
Sunflower Castle is another one you don’t want to miss. The guitar strumming immediately grabs your attention as the maracas follow, before being greeted by more guitars and the groovy bass. The guitar riff is easy to get lost in as it carries you throughout the track, though the way the instrumentals swell up and come to life before subsiding to give the echoing vocals a chance to have their time to shine. Though sparse, lyrics such as “I will ever keep you near, even if I dissapear” are delivered with such emotion, it’s easy to latch onto. The 90’s alternative influence meshes perfectly with the other musical motifs on display, carried over from other tracks, which makes it hard to listen to just once. An eclectic, stand-out track.
Joy of the 4th is full of fantastic and memorable tracks that tell a heartfelt story of the feelings of building a family. It’s full of wonderful performances that hit hard emotionally, especially when backed but the incredible instrumentals. While some tracks work better than others, the overall package is a good one with some incredible tracks such as Babyphone and Byrd of the Tree. This makes Joy of the 4th one you won’t want to miss if you’re looking for an upbeat, heartfelt listen.
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