Returning to our pages with their fourth studio album, behind every beautiful thing, flora cash continue to mark themselves out as a special act on the underground music scene.

By Graeme Smith

Feature photo by Maren Celest

The Swedish duo of flora cash have appeared a few times on these pages, with Jane sharing singles from them throughout 2023 and this year. Their new album is my first chance to run the rule over their sound.

Behind every beautiful thing is an album of contrasts with the band pairing themes such as light and dark, and sincerity and irony to great effect. It’s at times haunting, yet at others uplifting, giving us a rich emotional range that engages the listener.

Album opener Should’ve Dressed for the Event gives us the first taste of this through its ghostly, melancholic instrumental and expressive vocals. Its folksy, poetic lyrics are instantly striking during a vulnerable first verse before things build emotionally to an ecclesiastical chorus. It’s at once heart-breaking and life-affirming.

From there we get the delicate and brooding just wanna feel you, the cinematic, soul-searching duet Like No One Could and the dreamy, confessional My Ex Would’ve Left By Now. The latter proves a highlight thanks to its memorable lyrics and catchy chorus.

Other highlights include the soaring Morning Comes, the electro country The Night Is Young and the powerful, percussive Dragon. The Builder (För J. Blom) is a heartfelt, piano-led meditation that closes the album in reflective style.

With their new album, flora cash are proving themselves experts of emotional composition and narrative. Their dual vocals work beautifully throughout the album, giving us plenty of variation in a collection that always keeps up guessing what will come next.

Behind every beautiful thing was written and produced by flora cash and features Djorde Milanovic on violins and viola, and Yoed Nir on cello. It’s out tomorrow, Wednesday 23 October 2024 and you can pre-save it here.