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Flowers Forever

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Who? Flowers Forever is the artistic outlet of Tilly and the Wall guitarist Derek Pressnall. The Omaha transplant began writing songs for what would become the band’s self-titled debut in early 2007 during an “emotional rollercoaster” that found him waking with prophetic sensations. “I basically had this really weird moment in my life where I thought maybe I was having premonitions,” Pressnall recently told SPIN.com. “I just felt really connected to the earth I guess.” Slowly developing the new songs into a full-blown musical project, he enlisted the help of several friends — including Tilly and the Wall collaborator Craig D. — for the Flowers Forever LP, out Feb. 19 via Team Love.

What’s the Deal? Dark, gritty and often chaotic, Flowers Forever is a drastic departure from the carefree indie-pop of Pressnall’s work with Tilly and crew, though it does share the latter’s tendency toward anthemic shout-along choruses. “It’s inspired by anything and everything I guess,” Presnall said. From the ominous horn sections of the Billie Holiday classic “Strange Fruit” and the screeching organs of “Black Rosary” to the bouncy, soulful piano melodies of “Elliptical Love,” Flowers Forever is loaded in freewheeling, psychedelic stoner-rock with a decidedly retro vibe — thanks in large part to Pressnall’s bluesy, reverb dosed guitar leads and Lou Reed-ish vocals. More frantic tunes such as “Golden Shackles” and “Wet Diamonds” would also fit comfortably alongside the cathartic dissonance of fellow Omaha acts like Cursive or Desaparecidos.

Fun Fact: Before joining Tilly and the Wall, Pressnall monitored user pages for Yahoo Personals. DANE SMITH

Now Hear This:
Flowers Forever – “Black Rosary” DOWNLOAD MP3

On the Web:
Flowers Forever at MySpace
flowersforevermusic.com