Album review: John Floreani – ‘Sin’

We were all probably in a bit of shock when John Floreani of Trophy Eyes announced the release of his solo album Sin, due out June 7, 2019 via Hopeless Records.

I went into this album with an open mind, already guessing it would be different than what we’re used to with Trophy Eyes, and that helped me take in the album and truly enjoy it. The opening track “Oh Brother” was the second single released from this collection, so chances are you’ve already heard it, but if you haven’t, it’s a great start to this roller coaster of emotions called Sin.

The next song “Don’t Wait Up” is a more upbeat track but still has that relaxing flow to it. The melody is also very catchy, easy to follow along and the chorus has been stuck in my head since the first listen. “Echoes” is the next track and was our first taste of Sin, and when it dropped I think it took us all by surprise. This song flows effortlessly and is definitely one of the more solid tracks on the album.

Sin continues with quite a bright track “Cocaine;” the title was initially a little off-putting but it also was intriguing and surprisingly not what I expected. If Floreani decides to play it live I can see it being a crowd favorite. Following “Cocaine” is another vibrant track titled “Ugly Love,” possessing a different vibe than the rest of the album, but the diversity of it is what makes it a standout track. The isolation of the vocals at the end ties it all together and adds to the uniqueness of the song.

“Before The Devil Knows I’m Dead” highlights Floreani’s classic, hauntingly-intense vocals that are immensely filled with emotion. The harmonies at the end really make the song and I’m dying to find out the female vocalist because she is absolutely stunning. It transitions right into “Repent” with a more solid, steady beat to back up the shocking storyline in the song. It took me a few listens to grasp the concept of what was really going on, and the few counts of whistling added to the slightly creepy vibe perfectly.

The final track on the album is “I Don’t Want To Be Here Either,” and from the title I could tell this was going to be the heavily emotional song I was waiting for. If you’re a fan of Trophy Eyes then you know how well Floreani does emotional songs, and there is a tangible intention with this track being the album closer. This may be my favorite song off the release with its close-to-home hitting lyrics “I saw you staring at the sky, always looking for a reason to say goodbye, don’t you know there’s nothing up there but stars.” There’s also a slight mention of suicide, so please take caution when listening.

After hearing the entire album I had to take a moment to process the listening experience, and honestly, Sin has album of the year written all over it.

TAGS: John Floreani | Trophy Eyes | Hopeless Records