Flooding
Object 1
SELF-RELEASED
Flooding deliver the alluring extremes their aquatic namesake insinuates with their new EP, Object 1. On the follow-up to their 2023 full-length Silhouette Machine, the three-piece Kansas City band fronted by Rose Brown simultaneously possesses the purifying waters of a baptism and the destruction of a deluge. The wispy vocals that serve as a precursor to Brown's screams on opener “Complete Detail” are immediate evidence of how the trio inhabits a fluid force that can change shape in an instant.
Still, Flooding exert an astounding amount of control over the emotions they explore on these four tracks. They manage to flit between the brink of collapse and an eerie composure that mimics the calm before a storm. Lead single “Your Silence Is My Favorite Sound” sees the two sides coexist as Brown repeatedly insists she’s “fragile” just seconds after comparing herself to a nuclear bomb. They usher in a new kind of tenderness with these songs, one that’s vulnerable and violent and completely captivating.
There’s strength in this duality, and Flooding is at their best when they fully lean into the chaos and openness of their sound. They transcend the doldrums of being just another contemporary shoegaze band by blending genres with the same crafty complexity heard in their lyrics. There is no black or white—there’s just the thrill of comparing and contrasting the nuances of the human condition.
