South Texas-based Isaiah Flowers makes music that sounds instantly nostalgic. His sophomore album following 2019's Take Me Back, ADGTH is noticeably more mature, both sonically and emotionally, than all of Flowers' previous work. A stunning coming-of-age drama, the project will teleport you back to simpler times in what amounts to the ideal late-summer showcase of post-punk teen angst.
Tapping in to something thoroughly relatable to the experience of growing up and clumsily maturing, ADGTH knows how to deliver its message in style. From tracks that make you want to drive on the freeway late night with the top down to ones that make you want to curl up in a ball in your room, Flowers delivers punchy odes to living, making mistakes, and still loving life that few young artists are capable of. In addition to the heavy influence of alt-pop and post-punk, there's hints of Yung Lean's emo-trap throughout the project, perhaps most notably on opening track "All Dogs", an eminently catchy anthem. Flowers' impassioned vocals drift between wistful and rebellious as he offers adept musings on love, growth, and most importantly brotherhood throughout the project's runtime. Standout single "Send It To the Ground" is when the rockstar side of Flowers truly comes out. It's a triumphant and energetic track that feels like a graduation of sorts from precocious alt-pop teenager to full-fledged alt-rock innovator. Final track "Superhero" is an emotional sendoff for the project as it sees Flowers lay bare anything he was holding back in a sweeping ballad that hits all the notes of bittersweet and yearning, and ends with a powerful, distortion-addled guitar solo that ties the album together.
Flowers' youthful charisma is the main carrying point for his second full-length project. Luckily, the Texas native possesses it in droves and gives an impressive and confident alt-rock project that sees its prodigious protagonist mature before our very eyes.
Connect with Isaiah Flowers: Spotify | Instagram | Twitter | SoundCloud | YouTube