Album Review: Beabadoobee - 'Fake It Flowers'
The debut album from the rising powerhouse that is Beabadoobee is finally here - and what a way to solidify her position as the torchbearer of indie female rage; in the best possible way.
Fake It Flowers is a raw, confessional grunge work of art, and is by far the most mature body of work that she has released yet. This is Beabadoobee embracing her imperfections and mistakes, and facing her suffering head-on in deeply moving, personal ways. Riding off the wings of real trauma, the album tackles subjects that many young women will identify with; it’s essentially a 12-track-long plethora of anguish, sorrow, anger, frustration, and heartache.
The despondent, strings-assisted indie anthem ‘Sorry’ boasts a lot of emotional weight, depicting the rawness and authenticity that she has established masterfully as her trademark artistry. On the other side of the coin, ‘Care’ renders a more upbeat, indie/rock feel with a swooping melody along with its cathartic, carefree yell of a chorus. And then there’s the lusciously stunning ‘How Was Your Day?’; a heart-wrenching ode to neglected relationships and nostalgia, all wrapped up in the gloriously warm embers of Beabadoobee’s soft, crooning vocals and a comforting stripped-back acoustic guitar.
But the album’s appeal isn’t just in its themes and melodies, there’s an overlying lesson here. One that will resonate with us all, and it’s that there’s admiration - and even beauty - in sharing what you’ve been through, even if you’re still going through it. And that’s exactly what Beabadoobee is doing; "[Childhood] was a traumatic time. I'm still trying to get over it, with the help of therapy and with the help of people around me. It's gonna take a while, but writing this album has helped a lot. Every song is so personal, I'm low-key fucking terrified to show it to the world."
Whatever it is, there’s a lot of heart here - it’s a beautiful reminder that all you can be is real.
Words by Kelly Scanlon