We’re picking up everything that Adria Kain is putting down right now. Recently, the Canadian name crushed it in a live Colors session for a lifechanging rendition of new single ‘Only With Time’. Hot on those heels, the R&B one to watch dropped a full album by the name of When Flowers Bloom.
“When Flowers Bloom tells the story of falling in love after overcoming the loss of oneself through previous experiences in love. It depicts the struggle of a young, masculine presenting woman, who after embarking on a journey of self discovery, attempts to heal her wounds that developed through romantic relationships and the false perceptions that were taught throughout her upbringing. Accountability & vulnerability are the key emotions in this story,” says Adria Kain.
Now let’s get into it. The album’s opener ‘Garden Entrance (You Exist)’ is a bit of experimentalism with shifting vocals and outerspace effects. It grabs your attention before melting away into Adria Kain’s second track ‘Ocean (Reprise)’, a remake of a track she released seven years ago and if you listen to the two versions side by side, you’ll hear just how much Adria has evolved as an artist – her voice for one has transformed into the timeless soul one we now get to enjoy. That same transcendent soul performance carries on over into the electric guitar backed ‘Melt Into You’ and chunky beat backed ‘Peace Be Still’.
Signaling its entrance with an acoustic guitar melody, we get a nice change of pace with ‘Alone In Kenzo’. Adria’s voice is much more reserved and vulnerable as she sings about what it takes to trust a new love. The bass line and old school beats pick up speed, before dropping back to stripped down verse, prepping the listener for the super smooth second half.
‘Classic’ featuring Leila Day also stands out on the album, it’s much crisper and more modern than some of the other tracks. Same goes for ‘Flowers, For You’, which keeps that loved up storyline going, although with the added bonus of a grooving bass line. Leila Day makes an appearance again in a sweet interlude called ‘Never Change’, it’s a nice little bridge moment that takes us into the final three tracks.
Sandwiching the focus track, ‘Lost One’ is probably one of the most complex tracks, production wise, on the album. It’s got those romantic guitar lines and trilling beats, backing up Adria’s heartfelt narrative about the one that got away. Her emotions are sincere and it’s a track we can all massively relate to. That nostalgic trip sets us up nicely for ‘Only With Time’, a sensitive and soulful song of love and patience. The minimal beats, rich R&B melodies, choir-style backing and Adria’s astonishing vocal expressions puts this one at the top of our list.
We came in the ‘Garden Entrance’, so it only makes sense that we leave via the ‘Garden Exit’ aka ‘To The Ones I Loved Before’, a four minute anthem that takes one last, long look back at the past before Adria Kain closes that chapter of her life, one and for all.
Y’all, we can wax lyrical about When Flowers Bloom all day, but really you just got to listen for yourself. Let us know what your favourite track on the album is!
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