San Diego’s non-cis male punk band The Inflorescence is a quartet that comprises Tuesday Denekas on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Charlee Berlin on lead guitar and backup vocals, Milla Merlini on drums, and Sasha A’Hearn on bass. They might be the answer to an all-woman fronted Blink-182.
Their debut album, Remember What I Look Like, comes off strong with the first song, “Phantom Feelings”, a high sped up melody that is reminiscent of a fun West Coast sun-soaked vibe. Denekas sings “It seems so strange/the way people change” might be a pertinent lyric the listener falls in love with.
“Are You Sorry” depicts a struggle with a relationship. “Your selfish motives can say/don’t think I’ll just stay”. Deneka’s amateur vocals wear a bit at this point and the holes start to appear in this record that try to keep it afloat.
“Last Week” begins with Deneka’s soft refreshing voice but turns into another punk song about broken love. Redundant sounding and abundantly filled with cliché written lyrics about love rides this song like a rolling coaster as the novelty wears off.
The interlude of the album, which happens to be the title of the album, has such a relaxed summer ambience to it. Too bad it only lasts forty-five seconds.
By the time “Board Game” comes around, the songs seemed intertwined in themselves, love songs with a bad redux Blink-182 punk sound to it. Something we don’t need to hear in 2022, but perfect for 1999, when this sound crested and promptly disappeared.
Rating: 4.0/10