Following in the footsteps of her darling 2016 debut, Please Be Mine, First Flower is the sophomore full-length from Austin-based singer-songwriter Molly Burch.
As on her first go-around, Burch channels country-tinged ’60s crooners (à la Peggy Lee and Patsy Cline) with a breezy, tender touch. The album is a tremendously laid back affair, and Burch demonstrates an impressive range that puts her training as a jazz vocalist to good use.
Unlike Please Be Mine, its condensed production and perennial melancholy verges on monotony, cheating her songs of the heartstring-pulling power that makes past standouts like “Downhearted” such showstoppers.
While Molly Burch remains one of indie rock’s more interesting young voices, First Flower doesn’t blossom to its full potential.
Score: 🌻🌻🌻/5
Ryan is a writer, editor and vinyl collector currently based in Los Angeles. He started Mini Music Critic in 2017.