PREMIERE | Floral Fauna, "When You Smile"

The cool, cool world of Chris Allison, aka Floral Fauna; photographed by Jade Aposhian.

Chris Allison is known for work in animation and the rock outfit Lord Loud, launching the garage geared flair of Floral Fauna with the smart scuzz shredding debut of “When You Smile”. Featured off the upcoming album Pink and Blue available December 9, Allison and crew orchestrates an anachronistic nod to the staples of 45 singles of the psyched-out 60s. The brash brew alludes to the elaborate overtures of the lysergic lens concept works that elevate the standard of electricity fueled balladry into the arenas of odysseys, oracles, orcs and middle earth murmurings.

“When You Smile” sounds like a modern classic shaped out of leftover mod put-down song. Floral Fauna accentuates the tones that point to that cornerstone where the two-cycle huffing set began following the flower power parades and upheavals of revolts, demonstrations and the importance of letting your hair down and letting it grow long. Chris arranges the track with a snotty and stuck-up strutting rhythm that lampoons the song’s subject with the titular schoolyard slam of because you’re ugly when you smile that bops like a bully straight out of some sort of street turf claiming gang. Floral Fauna turns the attitude all the way up until entertaining the more hedonistic tinges of woodwind lead breakdowns and freak-out blocks that carries the song to a close on a jubilant note.

Out of the haze with Floral Fauna; photographed by Jade Aposhian.

Chris and Todd shared the following reflections about the single and upcoming with the following thoughts:

Excitement has been mounting to release my debut album under the Floral Fauna moniker. It's been an album that I recorded in a few of places where I have been living in Los Angeles over the course of the last couple of years. It's been such a joy to handpick some of my favorite folks to collaborate with. Recording on stolen time in stolen locations, picking up pieces of the puzzle whenever I could fit them in. Everyone was incredibly supportive. I didn't really even have an intention of making it, but as the songs started to pile up it was a pleasure to realize what I had.

Since there was no roadmap, I chose to explore. New instruments, new colors, and new techniques; I found myself taking pleasure in each step of the process of writing/mixing/designing the artwork. It's becoming an obsession to chase this songwriting muse: the next song always being more attractive than the one you just finished. Some folks write a diary, and this might be my own way of dealing with that same sentiment. My hope is that folks might listen to these songs and incorporate them into the daily fabric of their lives for a time, and someday look back fondly on them as I do.

Floral Fauna’s debut album Pink and Blue will be available December 9 via Bandcamp.