Flemish in the North is a musical project based in Arlington, North Virginia, composed of two core contributors; Christopher Davies and Everett DeLuca III. Together, the duo are delivering some hefty emotional legwork on their latest single ‘Holly Tree’. Inspired by the profound emotional aftermath of Davies’s losing his father to cancer, the song’s words are touching and the expansive, half-abrasive and half-forgiving arrangement is gripping and powerful. 

The song is driven by a slow and steady beat that is not devoid of its bombastic tendencies, which are kept throughout the song to the distorted, layered guitars, and to Davies’s emotive baritone vocals. The long-winded ballad features guitars that are heavily distorted and modulated, in multiple layers, ending in a guitar arrangement that’s lush and thick. The guitars and carefully prodding drum parts are the two defining elements of the music of ‘Holly Tree’, perfectly supporting the touching words and minimal vocal melodies that easily channel Joy Division.

Intricate yet bombastic, softly powerful, and expressive with its effects and layered production, Flemish in the North’s latest single is a warm and powerful ode to fathers who we lost. ‘Holly Tree’ is a stylistically special and colorfully soulful piece of shoegaze.

“Snow Crocks” starts with an unmistakable groove that you can’t avoid, it smoothly introduces us to a flowing verse with decisive vocals, fluid bass, and rocking distorted guitars before engaging into a fun playful chorus. The chorus is pretty catchy. I kept on humming it for quite some time. They steer into a brighter and more open sound at the interlude around the 3:00 minutes mark before turning into a more fuzzy and heavier sound while keeping their bass/guitar conversation going up till the very end. 

“Snow Crocs” is a very promising debut single by Flemish in the North, it shows their potential and signs of identity, unique approach, and most important “sound”. I will be looking forward to their debut album. Cheers!