Puerto Rico Flowers / 7

Fan Death

JOHN SHARKEY III is the new prime mover of the dark pop resurgence with PUERTO RICO FLOWERS.  After the smoke blew free from the rubble that was CLOCKCLEANER, Sharkey burrowed deep into the smoother sound the group folded under in order to find his own voice.  From, “4,” to, “2,” his newly crafted Puerto Rico Flowers has sliced through all of the current buzz with its rich and saturated sound coupled with ever-surprising pop sensibilities. Every song from “Let’s Make Friends” to the cover of  “When Your Lonely Heart Breaks” has not been carried by the pulsing streams of snyth, but instead by a rich bassline rallied onward by subdued wardrums. All of this has been alchemized by the emphatic voice of Sharkey himself. His signature croon dips in directions such as John Cale and Dave Gahan spilling out onto the larger similarities between Puerto Rico Flowers and bands such as Depeche Mode (with nods to early New Order). Keeping the same curt demeanor in tow, as with the “4” and “2” previous releases, the project will see its first proper full length simply titled “7.” Here, the evolution of sound continues to new dynamisms while maintaining that same foundation of simplicity. Tracks such as “Freezing Tears,” place a steady beat behind the wheel that is carried by Sharkey’s flowing vocals while pieces such as “After the weekend” see PRF exploring new places of quiet. Yet the anthemic quality of songs such as “3 Sisters” and “I Feel Good” hit with the same power as “Let’s Make Friends.” Overall what is to be held on “7” is a maturation and a liqueur smoothness of sound. The raw traits of the previous PRF releases have not been lost, but transformed into an organically focused execution. Embraced together, this new issuance of sounds is not unlike a skinhead crying. PRF will be playing selective dates in Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and Baltimore this year.

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