Preludes by Flaer

I’m one of the people who had to move home during Covid, and I think I’m not alone when I say that that situation was… rough. In fact, I know I’m not alone in thinking that, because a neoclassical artist from England called Flaer just released Preludes, a beautiful retelling of their own version of this experience. Upon being forced to return to their rural home, they developed a strong sense of nostalgic appreciation for this place that they had previously cast out as a regrettable part of their past. Flaer tells the story of the land with incredibly simple instrumentation, mostly consisting of guitar, cello, and piano, while field recordings play out in the background. With the occasional hint of darkness sprinkled throughout in the form of suspended chords or near-harmonies, Preludes makes sure that we know that life in this town isn’t a fairytale, but we walk away from the record with an overwhelming sense of Flaer’s appreciation of their hope in spite of its difficulties and flaws. 

To take this time that inflicted such trauma and turn it around into a lovely piece of art takes true creative courage, as most of us seemed content with squirreling our memories of 2020 away somewhere, never to be seen again. However, for the thirty minutes you spend with Preludes, you’ll remember your home as this complicated place that, no matter the negative feelings that may come up at first, still has some intense, radiant beauty somewhere within. After discovering this deep well of beauty in our homes, we will continue to find glimmers of light everywhere we look, turning our lives into the sort of romantic setting that one could write a minimalist neoclassical album about.

- Michael