The Flowers of Hell

Come Hell or High Water (Unfamiliar)

By Emily Becker
Published: July 5th, 2010 | 7:00am

Greg Jarvis, the man behind space rock orchestra the Flowers of Hell, is a synesthete. Synesthesia, where two senses perceive what is usually reserved for one, is rare, but Jarvis’ type is rarer still: he sees sounds. His condition, technically the timbre-to-shape variant, inspired much of his arrangements and production on Come Hell or High Water, the Flowers of Hell’s second full-length, finally seeing a domestic reissue courtesy of Unfamiliar Records. Though Jarvis may be nearly alone in his experience of sound, he enlists 16 or so pedigreed players from a variety of acts including Broken Social Scene, Bat for Lashes, and the Clientele to fulfill his literal sonic vision.

What will the rest of us hear in Come Hell or High Water? The album begins with “Opus 66 (Part 1)” which emerges from a blues-tinged puff of noise as multiple musical threads join together, moving just out of sync. “Darklands” deconstructs a Jesus and Mary Chain-style melody, exploding the familiar chord progression into a musical vision of complex, fractal beauty. “Bluemchen” has a clear direction, as a woman speaks in German before drums thunder and guitars buzz, while trumpet and banging piano hone the edge of a propulsive beat. Many of Jarvis’ songs wander, but getting lost in the music is part of its charm.

Few musical entities resemble the Flowers of Hell, so it isn’t that surprising that the group’s music defies expectations about musical arrangement, or that its members populate several cities across two continents. Come Hell or High Water may not be easy listening or be played on heavy rotation, but it is one record that’s well worth the time, even if that time only comes on special occasions.

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The Flowers of Hell official Web site

The Flowers of Hell MySpace page

Unfamiliar Records