An enveloping rock-forward exploration of grief and loss, “Holly Tree” is a recent single from Arlington-based project Flemish in the North. Led by the artists Christopher Davis and Everett DeLuca III, Flemish in the North debuted in 2022 with the single “Snow Crocs,” and now with “Holly Tree” unveil their most emotively raw and personal song. Davis lost his father to cancer, and the track channels the sense of loss and ensuing hope for renewal that followed.
“The lyrical content is specifically trying to grasp the emotional fallout of losing my father to a 5 year battle with cancer,” Davis says. “It isn’t about the event itself, but the headspace I found myself in for years since. It describes the loss of color, interest, and vibrancy in the world around me, but holding onto the smallest fibers of hope that we can somehow paint our surroundings a new color, or that eventually things will change.”
Buzzing pulses of guitar distortion assemble in hypnotic layers to start, crafting a whirring intrigue as solemn vocals enter seamlessly. The introspective vocal presence builds steadily into a jangling complement. “That’s alright,” they let out reassuringly, gearing masterfully into a moodier swell of guitar invigoration and a post-punk rhythmic vigor. The “I can’t help feeling nothing at all,” sequence aligns with reflective guitar soaring for a replay-inducing impact. “Holly Tree” is a resonating, moving rock success from Flemish in the North.
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup, as part of the artist’s promotional campaign.
