Fake It Flowers takes us back to the early noughties with nostalgic guitar riffs and an instant dose of attitude with beabadoobee proving she’s got what it takes. 

Signed to Dirty Hit, beabadoobee has become somewhat of a cult figure over the last few months with her song death bed (coffee for your head) becoming one of TikTok’s most used songs but her debut album Fake It Flowers proves she’s much more than just a TikTok trend.

The 12-track album opens with Care, a fast paced, Avril Lavigne-inspired track that holds itself with confidence and poise whilst setting the tone for a record of strong independence. Written about making mistakes in adolescence but learning to accept them over time, Worth It adds a wave of nostalgia with soft vocals and early 90s guitar riffs that remind you of a teenage dream with red cups filled with some mysterious mix of alcohol in hand. 

A feminist anthem that explores themes around sex and independence, Dye It Red follows a slower pace, presenting itself as more of a rock ballad with softer guitar parts that feel as if they’re blushing over the track just enough to compliment. 1 minute and 30 seconds long Back To Mars features a simple but effective acoustic guitar layered underneath beabadoobee’s angelic vocals.

Elsewhere on the album, Sorry is an honest track that’s filled with vulnerability as it’s stripped back to a much more simple format within the verses. Layered with an acoustic guitar and a few other string instruments in the background, it builds into much heavier guitars and drums that take hold turning the track into a rock ballad that still keeps an overwhelming amount of honesty and openness. How Was Your Day? also feels very rustic and undone which adds character to the album as a whole. 

Horen Sarrison is a movie ballad with a dramatic orchestra, creating a sense of grand devotion to music as the backing track fills the room, echoing around. beabadoobee’s vocals, however soft, still manage to come through on the track, and although it can seem slightly messy at times it adds a likeable charm to the track. The album closes with Yoshimi, Forest, Magdalene, a high energy party track that draws a somewhat undone and characterful album to a close. With a lack of direction and virtually the same soundscapes, Fake It Flowers doesn’t instantly strike as fully professional, yet it does feel comforting and truly relatable.