Send Me Flowers - “2020”
Photo by Nora Mulder
Netherlands-based Iris van Dijk, aka Send Me Flowers, has just released the majestic indie rock track, “2020.”
This song is a total vibe, with layers of grandiose and vivid splendour ebbing and flowing in a sophisticated, creative and chilled fashion. “2020” opens to the muted tones of acoustic guitar that weave an intimate and contemplative groove. This is complemented by the bright, reverberating tones of piano that melodically add a sense of class. Ethereal synths tenderly pad, giving a spacious and airy sense of depth.
Pleasingly, the intimate mood is broken by the magnificent chorus which has a great, traditional indie pop-rock vibe. The dynamics soar as the sweet drum beat nestles into its steady groove. Theses sections have an atmosphere of nostalgia and disarming beauty as the electric guitars magically shimmer and chug along.
As “2020” progresses, the composition increasing unfolds like a delightful, slow-moving kaleidoscope. Layers enter, such as what sounds like a Buchla Easel synthesizer or possibly keys being run through a Chase Bliss Mood-adjacent pedal, injecting a sense of the avant-garde. Guitar is also used to beautifully inject vibrancy into the arrangement with muted, raw, edgy, and gritty sounds.
The vocals on “2020” are just as enthralling as the well-crafted musical arrangement. The performance is delightfully intimate, with a sense of vulnerability. As the chorus approaches, harmonising layers are tenderly adorned until what feels like a choir enters. Over these sections, it launches the choruses into the stratosphere, really making the track something of beauty.
On the track, Send Me Flowers adds: ““2020” is about how absurd and fragile life can be. I wrote the track in my bedroom during a lockdown. The song describes (in a sometimes-humorous way) the growth that can take place when everything seems to stand still. The recordings started in a country house in Belgium without heating in January 2021 and were completed over the years in Amsterdam.”
“2020” is an astonishingly lush indie pop-rock track that will captivate every listener from the first play. There’s a pleasing maturity in both the composition and performances that makes this track truly special.