6. Flyleaf: Fire from Texas
The screaming music trilogy part 2. (For part 1 click here)
Lest I come across as someone who doesn’t respect the role of extreme emotion in art and music, let me explore two more artists who sometimes scream, starting with Flyleaf.
The problem I have with a lot of metal-adjacent artists (Flyleaf is too melodic to qualify as a full on metal bad) is that they get caught up in extremes of dark emotion. Flyleaf never got caught in that trap.
Lacey, the lead singer and driving lyrical force, wrote at least part of the band’s debut album based on her experiences with extreme despair and suicidal thoughts, but the band tempers the darkness with equally powerful optimism. The album reflects extremes of her emotions from the screams of “I’m So Sick” to the joyful euphoria of “Fully Alive” and “All Around Me”, but it makes plenty of room for subtler shades of emotion to ponder life and relationships — most of which are not romantic ones.
Another thing that sets apart artists like Flyleaf: they’re not fixated on their personal turmoil. When your art isn’t limited to the universe of what’s going on inside your mind, endless topical possibilities open up — something it took me too long to learn in my own songwriting.
Taken as a whole, the album’s emotional range just makes the members of Flyleaf seem like something easy to relate to (and infinitely marketable): a group of genuine and likable humans. It’s no secret that when people feel like artists are genuine, they’re more likely to support their work.
Flyleaf put out three really solid and enjoyable albums before Lacey left the band to focus on raising her family and building up her charities. Her growth as a songwriter and singer, with a richer, fuller, voice, complemented the musical growth of the band. The trilogy of albums told a story that I was happy to follow. I think they were one of the last artists of their generation to get the formula right.
It’s hard to pick a favorite album; it really depends on my mood. Album 3 is the most joyous, album 2 has the most fire, and album 1 is raw and powerful.
One last side note: I don’t want to slight the talented Kristen May who had the unenviable task of filling Lacey’s shoes after she left, but by the time Flyleaf’s fourth album was released I was pretty burnt out on the genre, so I never really sat down to listen to it. I feel bad for her because I think she joined right as the genre was declining in popularity and she never got the time in the sun that she deserved.
One nitpick: the cover art for their second album is absolutely horrendous.
