Floral Portrait, Canary Affair, Hensleys

CL Critic Jessica Goodson Recommends: It’s not every day you hear a band refer to Jellyfish, a perfect but short-lived power-pop band from the 90s, as one of their greatest influences. So when I heard about Floral Portrait, I had to see what was up. The impossible love-child of Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys), Andy Sturmer (Jellyfish), Burt Bacharach and Colin Blunstone (The Zombies), Jason Bronson has become Atlanta’s own experimental pop god. Last month, Bronson’s newest project, Floral Portrait, released their self-titled debut album under Marching Banana , a local veteran DIY label run by Sunset Honor Unit’s Drew Kirby. Typically, when you hear experimental or ‘bedroom pop’ you hear a lot of synth and electronic instruments, sometimes all made by one person, but on Floral Portrait you hear band members Bronson, Jacob Chisenhall and Freeman Leverett, as well as over 20 session musicians. I’m not sure how they did it, but they recorded everything you hear live in a studio. The album takes listeners on a journey through Bronson’s mind with euphoric chamber pop sounds that are beautifully explored and executed from start to finish. Floral Portrait will make their Atlanta debut on March 16 along with new Atlanta indie rockers The Hensleys and Athens’ Canary Affair.— JG

CL Critic Matthew Warhol Recommends: Atlanta/Athens groove pop band Canary Affair feels like a warm hug. Whether they are delivering Mac Demarco-esque slacker tunes or ‘60s psychedelic odysseys, there’s a continual feeling of comfort I get from their music. This isn’t a scary trip that ends with you thinking your existence is The Truman Show. It’s crying at the beauty of nature. Canary Affair’s shifting day trips feature saxophone solos, flute breakdowns, show tune horns, and cheery lounge piano. You may think you know what a song is going to be on minute one, but stick around and you’ll be surprised with what you find. — MW