#12 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Flock of Dimes
Head of Roses by Flock of Dimes
In the immortal words of G.O.B. Bluth, I’ve made a huge mistake. Well, maybe not huge, but one I’m certainly not proud of. Head of Roses, the third release from Flock of Dimes, came out back in April, and I’ve been enjoying it immensely for the last eight months. That’s not the mistake – quite the contrary, in fact. However, also for the last eight months, I’ve been thinking, and even saying to multiple people who I recommended the album to, that Flock of Dimes was the solo project of the lead singer of Sylvan Esso.
Insert the game show buzzer sound here.
Turns out, Flock of Dimes is not Amelia Meath’s solo project. It is in fact Jenn Wasner’s solo project. Jenn is the lead singer of Wye Oak. To my credit, if you put the two bands side-by-side, they do sound very similar. Even more to my credit, Wasner recorded this Flock of Dimes album with Nick Sanborn, the non-Amelia Meath half of Sylvan Esso. So who can really forgive me for mistaking Wasner for Meath? Moving on…
I do love Head of Roses. And I love Wasner’s voice here every bit as much as I did on Wye Oak’s excellent album The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs, (#9 in 2018). Learning that Roses was made by half of Wye Oak and half of Sylvan Esso makes perfect sense. Sanborn’s production isn’t as heavy handed as Andy Stack’s Wye Oak production, and Flock of Dimes is more guitar-y than your typical Sylvan Esso album. Roses sits squarely in between — a Sylvan Esso or Wye Oak album straight from the metaverse, perhaps never having meant to be, but here now thanks to Dr. Strange’s magic spell. Or, you know, maybe Wasner just wanted to work with Sanborn, or vice versa.
The song shown in the video above, “Hard Way,” is the most subdued song on the album. If you want more of that heavy Wye Oak guitar, check out the video for “Price of Blue”. There’s also a great video for “One More Hour,” a song that sits squarely in the middle between those two.
Don’t sit on Flock of Dimes (or Wye Oak, or Sylvan Esso). Head of Roses is Wasner’s third solo album, and ninth total album when combined with her Wye Oak output. And it’s her best yet. Hopefully 2022 will bring another Wye Oak album, and then we can start the cycle all over again.
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13. The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows by Damon Albarn
14. Collapsed in Sunbeams by Arlo Parks
15. Loving In Stereo by Jungle
16. Flying Dream 1 by Elbow
17. Screen Violence by Chvrches
18. Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice
19. Mainly Gestalt Pornography by Pearly Gate Music
20. Peace Or Love by Kings of Convenience
21. These 13 by Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird
22. Mr. Corman: Season 1 by Nathan Johnson
23. Home Video by Lucy Dacus
24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications
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