The Inflorescence holds a mirror to the falsehoods we have fostered around the never-ending journey of “growing up” on their new album Remember What I Look Like (via Kill Rock Stars) Released last month, it’s the first full-length record the group has released since signing to Kill Rock Stars back in 2019. The San Diego riot grrrl outfit is composed of Tuesday Denekas (vocals, guitar), Milla Merlini (drums), Sasha A’Hearn (bass), and Charlee Berlin (vocals, guitar). Inspired by the alternative acts of the early 80s and 90s, The Inflorescence touts a gender-inclusive vision for the Southern California music scene. They do this while not straying from their local inspirations found in bands like Stone Temple Pilots and Iron Butterfly. On their Bandcamp, The Inflorescence says, “in a largely male-dominated industry, we see how undermined we are for being a no-man band, and we see how being on stage empowers alternative girls and nonbinary people.”
The gang is mostly in their late teens and early twenties, and the record matches their youth with equally fresh-faced emotion and alienation. From insecurity to conformist pressure and all the flavors of relationship troubles, Remember What I Look Like takes it all to the task. Unfortunately, the band’s immaturity plays to the project’s detriment and can muddy the message the record wants to send.
The lead single for the record, “Are You Sorry,” is the most catchy despite its dour subject matter. Though it’s unclear whether the narrator is speaking to a lousy lover, a feeble friend, or a toxic parent regardless, the pain and vitriol burns throughout the track like a double shot of tequila. The screaming closing, “how many times can I get you to say sorry?” is an immense moment carried out by a bouncing chorus and forceful vocal performances by Charlee and Tuesday. The following song, “Last Week,” is another highlight. While the airy falsetto on the first leg of the track sticks out – it’s complimented by the gruffer second half. Delirious and lightheaded, they sing, “I feel like I’m just spinning, my heart is just beginning,” the fledgling feelings of love and loss are handled well, thanks in part to the track’s danceable beat.
“The Truth” hits because of its familiarity. “Crying in the car about something you said, why can’t I just let this go,” wails the group. Oof is all I can say—checking the time to see if it’s not too late to email my therapist about how my awful ex in high school told me she would block my number if I didn’t buy her little brother McDonald’s.
Even if getting you to feel extreme emotions is the band’s ethos, there are parts of this album where their dour feelings are lessened by the vocals, production, and lyricism – especially when the lacking of one brings down the bright spots of the others. While the opener, “Phantom Feelings,” gets the blood pumping with bombastic instrumentation and echoing vocals, the track lacks the same narrative gravitas as some of the previously mentioned songs. However, “Phantom Feelings” is only undercut more by the follow-up, “So Much of Nothing,” whose title ironically matches its naming in the worst way. The swaying guitar, underwritten lyrics, and vocal performances feel more chastened than the rest of the record. It digs into the meat of why the album can go so far yet undershoot. When it comes to having a style and a vibe, the album has it but lacks the nuance to cement yourself in it.
The title track follows up after “Last Week.” The instrumental goes as quick as it came with stampeding drums and wide-open guitars. “Tomorrow Night’ is a good party anthem for the first half, singing about wanting to lose your mind and making you forget that you should be getting your life together. The track also gives Sasha A’Hearn a chance to shine with her basswork. However, it overstays its welcome rather quickly in what feels like an extended version of the previous song. Though “Tomorrow Night” is damn near seven minutes, most of the song feels bloated compared to the more restrained runtimes in the rest of the tracklist.
The best part of the record is the final two songs, “The Button” and “Board Game.” As someone who feeds on layered lyrics, “Button” is a brutal one. The line, “don’t let me slip away,” is repeated with a haunting echo, followed by the gut-wrenching line, “I’ll hide you in the depth of my own heart.” The narrator asks why this person had to leave and the lengths to which they would go to forget, even after they’re called into the void after them. Is this the button one pushes to block out one’s heartache? If you could just shut off contact with a romantic swindler with a simple click, would you? Or would you leave yourself wondering if throwing away this relationship should be that easy?
Speaking of technology, “Board Games” has the backing track of a tense text exchange complete with notification and typing sound effects that solidify the eerie calm before the storm. The narrator asks if they are “just a piece in your little board game,” as the phone noises fade, the guitars return, and the howling vocals become more desperate. Nobody likes heated texting arguments. In many ways, they’re worse than real-life ones. But the wailing from Tuesday and Charlee cut harder than anything from behind a screen or in the face of a loved one ever could. The record goes out kicking and screaming – the narrative brilliance of it is soured once you realize how long it took to get here.
Having made one of the loudest debuts this year, especially coming out of SoCal, Denekas, Merlini, A’Hearn, and Berlin stand shoulder to shoulder with many other alt indie artists as an act smashing through a scene that has largely been a boy’s club since its conception. Unfortunately, the misses happen at about the same frequency as the hits. We hope the band overcomes these growing pains before their sophomore record.
Remember What I Look Like is available across all streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal, or for purchase on Bandcamp.
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