August 2022 was a mixed bag as far as music goes. While the month did give us arguably the worst album of the year thus far in the form of Panic! at the Disco’s hedonistic pop rock train wreck Viva Las Vengeance (perhaps only tying with 2 Chainz’s Dope Don’t Sell Itself from February!), it also did result in one of the most refreshing East Coast hip-hop releases this year with Danger Mouse and Black Thought on the sample-based Cheat Codes. However, my favorite album of the month was a surprise from left-field, with local band Real Fake Flowers’ electric indie rock debut, The Equation To The Pursuit Of Happiness.
I first checked out Real Fake Flowers after a friend recommended them to me; they had introduced me to some great local artists in the past, so I trusted their judgment on this one. I was instantly intrigued by their familiar yet unique take on melodic indie rock, as their songs were endlessly catchy, yet incorporated a myriad of genres within a single track. When I heard about their upcoming album, I was slightly disappointed to learn that all but two tracks on the nine-song album had been previously released as singles, but the strength of these singles is so great that it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve listened to them before. I find most of these tracks to just be as compelling on the album as they were the first time I listened to them months ago.
The most pressing fault I can find with The Equation is that it starts off on a remarkably weak note. The first track, “ANTHM (losethelight)” is, in my opinion, a clear pick for the worst track on the album. Between opening with a drawn-out and cliched “Bohemian Rhapsody”-inspired intro, the syncopated rhythm guitar that sounds eerily similar to “Party in the U.S.A.,” and the chord progression that feels ripped straight from a pet food commercial, it’s a disappointing opening for a band that has proved itself capable of so much more in the past.
Luckily, Real Fake Flowers gets over this rough patch very quickly with the next track, “Your Apartment.” Featuring twisty midwest emo-esque riffs and one of the strongest vocal performances on the album, “Your Apartment” is rightfully one of the most popular tracks off the album. It’s a testament to the band’s versatility that, within a four-minute song, they are able to incorporate elements of midwest emo, indietronica, thrash metal, glitch pop, shoegaze, and neo-psychedelia – and even at that, “Your Apartment” is arguably one of the more static tracks on the album.
“An Unpolished Gem With A Tragic Backstory” is one of my personal favorites from the album. Despite being one of their least polished tracks, with rough guitars and a distant vocal recording, I believe this song most effectively portrays the band’s strengths. After opening with a reggae-inspired section that sounds like a Blurryface-era Twenty One Pilots outtake, Real Fake Flowers quickly segues into an intimate indie rock section before entering a bombastic yet pained power pop section with post-hardcore tinges that recall the best of Sunny Day Real Estate. Despite the genre changes throughout the song, the throughline of the track is the unrelenting sincerity of it all. The switch-ups and eclectism never feel gimmicky – they seem like the genuine explorations of two passionate musicians who want to incorporate as many influences as possible into their music.
In my opinion, that’s what makes Real Fake Flowers so unique. Despite using common melodies and chord progressions, their music is consistently genuine and free of irony. Even the most underground bands often seem to start with an intrinsic cynicism, and it’s so nice to finally hear an up-and-coming indie rock band that isn’t afraid to wear their heart on their sleeve. The Equation To The Pursuit of Happiness is one of the best debut albums I’ve ever heard, and I cannot wait to see where this band goes next – I just hope that, no matter what, Real Fake Flowers stays sincere.
