Flowers for Juno remain one of Newcastle’s most intriguing enigmas, a project that seems to thrive specifically because it refuses to sit still. Led by the restless creative mind of Benjó James, the new three-track release ‘Dolphin Girl’ acts as a murky, fascinating follow-up to the eccentric ‘Live at Tyne Green Golf Club’ double A-side.
While the project is often filed under the ‘gothic’ rock banner, this latest offering suggests James is more interested in the space where darkwave rhythms collide with the hazy textures of shoegaze and the pop sensibilities of the nineties.
The title track sets a sombre, evocative tone, dripping with a sense of detachment that feels entirely intentional. It was born from a night out that James describes with characteristic bluntness: “I went out in Newcastle and ended up at this goth night; I seemed to be the only person drinking, dancing, and having fun, and although I like the music, I don’t relate to goth culture at all, and I’d rather listen to Seal most nights than The Sisters of Mercy. I wrote and recorded this somewhere between a hangover and a shift at my bar job. No idea what genre FFJ even are at this point.”
That sense of being an outsider looking in permeates the music. ‘Dolphin Girl’ avoids the usual subcultural clichés, opting instead for a dense, swirling production style recorded at the evocatively named Crack Den. The inclusion of Tyrion ‘Bigfoot’ Jackson’s slap bass across the release provides a tactile, funky counterpoint to the more ethereal Mellotron and programmed elements.
The sequencing is purposefully jagged. ‘Lipstick and Furs (Arbitrary Cash-in Edit)’ introduces an unexpected folk-adjacent texture via Freja Crozier’s Northumbrian harp, creating a jarring but brilliant contrast against the electronic spine of the track. Meanwhile, the closing instrumental ‘Lucozade and Vodka’ captures the disorienting, strobe-lit pulse of a club at 3:00 AM, serving as a brief, frantic exit.
While the influences of My Bloody Valentine’s wall-of-sound and Type O Negative’s gloom are present, there is a soulful, smooth streak reminiscent of Sade or Seal that keeps the tracks from becoming too oppressive. By embracing a lack of genre clarity, Flowers for Juno have crafted a release that feels raw, honest, and delightfully unpredictable.
To keep pace with the latest sonic experiments and bar-shift musings, find Flowers for Juno on Instagram and Facebook.
