Flowers for Juno - Message to Lana

Message to Lana – Flowers for Juno

With the release of their latest track Message to Lana, Flowers for Juno lean fully into production with distortion and emotional excess. The group is fronted by Benjó James and with their latest release, continues its gothic rock evolution that stretches just shy of five minutes. The song opens with the spoken line, “hey this is Lana, ” which sounds like it was taken from a voicemail or voicemail machine, the song pulls you in.

From the start, the production is heavy. Synths hum beneath fuzzy guitar sounds, while the sound of slamming drums give the track a steady beat. Overall, the sound can best be described as sitting somewhere between classic goth vibes and modern shoegaze sound. It can be easy to pull comparisons to bands like The Cure in their darkest songs, the emotional haze of more modern groups like My Bloody Valentine, and even the synth-focused sound of Depeche Mode. Yet the track also carries a contemporary indie-rock edge.

When it comes to the lyrics - those can be a bit tricky to understand at moments. This is because of Benjó James’s vocal performance, where he chooses a more distant almost cloudy delivery. And perhaps, this is intentional. With the lyrics hard to follow (competing with the strong reverb and dark pads) the focus is on the overall sound, which adds to the gothic flair. And maybe that is the point - to have the song be less about lyrical storytelling and more about emotional tone.

And there are many unique parts of the song that are very intentional. For example, halfway through, the music cuts out entirely, replaced by a filtered sample from Ugly Bitch by The Mags. The interruption is unexpected and kind of sounds jarring, before the band slowly fades back in with the song as normal.

Overall, “Message to Lana” has a sound that fits within gothic metal and shoegaze circles, but its five-minute length, featured interlude, and blurred vocals give it a unique individuality. Dark, immersive, and disorienting at times, it is a song that rewards listeners who are willing to stay through its immersive sound.