Years ago, Paramore and its drummer Zac Farro's Halfnoise project felt incongruent — the bombastic punk of the former not quite aligning with the unassuming, far-ranging pop of the latter. That doesn't really matter — sonic exploration is what projects are for. But over time, and especially with last year's '80s-indebted After Laughter, their pop sensibilities began to mingle and even complement each other.
Farro's new Flowerss EP as Halfnoise coalesces his rhythmically rich psychedelic-pop tendencies most swimmingly, especially on "She Said."
"'She Said' lyrically is such a repetitive and straightforward song that I feel it really helps drive home this core theme for me," Farro tells NPR. "More so than about a specific person or relationship, 'She Said' is a reminder that if we live in our own heads and we overthink life and love, we will end up missing what's already right in front of us. The repetitive guitar riff throughout the song echoes this constant human need to remind ourselves to let life happen and to not just live inside your own head."
With a whispered coo and buoyant guitar figure spindling its way throughout, "She Said" could just as easily appear on a Phoenix record, but has the added benefit of Farro's aerobic drumming, adding a sparkling snap to its fizz.
Flowerss comes out May 4 via Congrats Records. HALFNOISE goes on a short U.S. tour staring May 5.
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