2011’s Native Speaker was one of those albums that snuck up on me without much fuss, but it crashed onto my year end list like a whirlwind. It was a bipolar affair, slipping from vulgar to tender within the same verse as the tracks jumped from manic exuberance to serene atmospherics  as the record progressed. And with the announcement that their keyboardist had stepped down, it seemed like Flourish // Perish would spend most of its time in the chirpy, bouncing art pop portion of Braids’ repertoire.

But that’s not the case at all. Rather, Braids merged their two extremes into one beat-ridden, ethereal whole.

With beats culled from a close study of Ambient Works II, Flourish // Perish washes over you like a wave, dance rhythms softly pulsing through the mix of hazy keyboards, effect-thick guitars, and Raphaelle Standell-Preston’s lilting voice. It’s a completely different beast from Native Speaker–a tamer, stronger beast, which stands eye to eye with some of 2013’s best records and will remain a constant visitor of my turntable for years to come.