The peculiar arrangement on Flemish in the North’s latest single ‘Holly Tree’ does a great job in drawing the attention as the raw vocals and emotional lyrics do the work to keep it planted firmly, taking note of the song’s infinite number of layers and gorgeously rich mix.
Flemish in the North is a musical project based in Arlington, North Virginia, composed of two core contributors; Christopher Davies and Everett DeLuca III. Together, the duo are delivering some hefty emotional legwork on their latest single ‘Holly Tree’. Inspired by the profound emotional aftermath of Davies’s losing his father to cancer, the song’s words are touching and the expansive, half-abrasive and half-forgiving arrangement is gripping and powerful.
The song is driven by a slow and steady beat that is not devoid of its bombastic tendencies, which are kept throughout the song to the distorted, layered guitars, and to Davies’s emotive baritone vocals. The long-winded ballad features guitars that are heavily distorted and modulated, in multiple layers, ending in a guitar arrangement that’s lush and thick. The guitars and carefully prodding drum parts are the two defining elements of the music of ‘Holly Tree’, perfectly supporting the touching words and minimal vocal melodies that easily channel Joy Division.
Intricate yet bombastic, softly powerful, and expressive with its effects and layered production, Flemish in the North’s latest single is a warm and powerful ode to fathers who we lost. ‘Holly Tree’ is a stylistically special and colorfully soulful piece of shoegaze.
