Hibiscus Radio is a journey.
Having released two albums previously that lean more into the slacker surf sounds, it seems that Northern Rivers quartet Pasiflorez have been steadily working towards today’s release of Hibiscus Radio since their inception. That’s not to say that 2020’s Pasiflorez and 2022’s Passion Flower aren’t great listens, more so that on Hibiscus Radio we hear a band that is comfortable in their own skin and pushing themselves deeper down the rabbit hole than they’ve gone before – and it’s a really fun rabbit hole.
Over the course of the album’s 10 tracks, the group do a lot of world building, constructing textural soundscapes that tend to spawn from a verbed-out guitar before growing into something much bigger. From the album opener and title track, we get a clear invitation to slow down, sit back and enjoy the ride.
On tracks like ‘Gravel Disco Road’ the group lean into more funky grooves that its easy to imagine will become the outliers in their live set. Their much-streamed cover of ‘Round The Twist’ has also made it onto the record, signifying a clear intent in conjuring up sweet nostalgia for us to wallow in, before we take a delightful trip into 60s-era rock with ‘Social Nightmare’.
The album closes similarly to how it starts with a meditative lullaby in the form of ‘Messenger Of Peace’, a soft serenade that feels like a dreamy sonic exhale. Deep breath, we made it.
Like what you’re hearing? Well, you’ll probably wanna catch Pasiflorez live, right? They’ll be touring all over the country in July and August, even making the often unfeasible trip to WA for a string of shows. Check out the dates below and follow them on IG here for more:
