Album Review: Florescence

If I had to sum up the experience of being a Maisie Peters fan over the last few years in a word, it would be anticipation. After the success of 2023’s ‘The Good Witch’, it was time for Maisie to bloom into a happier and healthier artist. ‘MP3’ was a long time coming, but without a doubt it was worth the wait.

‘Florescence’ came out on the 22nd of May. There was a big run in, with the first double a-side ‘Audrey Hepburn/You You You’ being released on the 9th of October. The album was officially announced with the ‘Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging’ parody trailer (directed by Amelia Dimoldenberg) on the 28th of January. The reception from fans was one of total excitement.

The singles from ‘Florescence’ were a perfect introduction to the album’s sound and story. My personal favourite is ‘Say My Name In Your Sleep’, with its beautiful harmonies courtesy of Gretta Ray. I saw Gretta support Maisie at her Wembley Arena show in 2023, and I was really happy to hear her beautiful vocals uniting with Maisie on such an impactful track. It’s one for many tracks which have drawn inspiration from “Rebecca’ by Daphne du Maurier. Maisie regularly shares her book recommendations with fans, and has explained how “Rebecca’ was the novel that some of the album’s influences grew out of.Without falling into elitist cliches, the entire album has a very ‘literary’ feel to it. 

‘My Regards’ has been receiving a lot of radio play which has been exciting to hear. I was first made aware of Maisie’s work when my Mum heard her being interviewed by Jo Wiley ahead of her first album, ‘You Signed Up For This’. In a world of trending TikTok audios, it’s nice to know that Maisie is having songs played in full to a slightly different audience. Chart ‘success’ doesn’t have the same meaning in the streaming era, so radio play can be huge. I would love to see Maisie in the public eye more, particularly as the musical guest on SNL UK. 

One of my only reservations going into my first play of ‘Florescence’ was quite how much of the album I had already heard. I normally enjoy avoiding singles to allow albums a proper ‘first play’, but with ‘Florescence’ quite frankly, I wasn’t willing to wait. I heard 6 tracks at her intimate record store show in Liverpool, 10 days before the album’s release. It was a really nice way to be fully immersed in the album’s sound, particularly the influences of collaborator Marcus Mumford. ‘Audrey Hepburn’ was a real highlight for me, and hearing ‘Flat Earthed’ before its release was exciting. 

I think my biggest takeaway from ‘Florescence’ is that it feels so cohesive as an ‘album’. I love the songs on ‘The Good Witch’, but some of the themes and sounds did feel like they juxtaposed each other, particularly if listening to the album on shuffle. ‘Florescence’ perfectly gives each song its own identity and sound, yet it feels like a chapter in one story. 

I couldn’t review Maisie Peter’s album without mentioning her incredible lyricism. From the vulnerability of ‘Mary Jane’ which acknowledges the struggles Maisie has experienced being in the public eye, to the wit of ‘Flat Earther’. The depth of Maisie’s themes and metaphors means that the listener can take something different away upon each listen. It’s rare for a writer to give such a rich tapestry of work over to their fans, yet Maisie has done so time and time again throughout her career. 

Without a doubt, ‘Florescence’ is going to be the soundtrack to my summer. I can’t wait to delve deeper, and truly discover my favourites. Watching Maisie bloom into the ‘Florescence’ era has been truly special, and I’m already counting down to her headline show at the O2 next May. 

Written by, Eleanor Patamia