Out of Chicago, Illinois comes a band that is bound to be making some serious waves with their drive to write heartfelt lyrics, their motivation to create those eargasmic moments in their arrangements, and spilling their hearts on stage with each show, and that band is THE FLIPS. The Flips recently released their EP entitled “Exactly Where I Should Be”.
The Flips are composed of Nick Sintos on guitars/vocals, Mike Carlson on drums/vocals, Dustin Martin on guitars, Annette Nowacki on keyboards/vocals/percussion, and Mac Kelem on bass/vocals. Madness To Creation would describe them if Husker Du, Nada Surf, and Against Me! had this crazy love child that ran the gamut of emotions in their storytelling and arrangements.
Honestly, I didn’t have any expectations going in, I was just hoping to hear some solid music, and The Flips whetted the ol’ appetite and then some for their ability to craft songs and poignant lyrics. For example, the ballad on the EP entitled “Sadder Days(For Gene & Jo) feels like someone took a sledgehammer to the stomach and someone gave me a heart punch at the same time. It is their quietest, most introspective song, but it breaks you, and that’s what art is supposed to do. The guitars and arrangements are filthy in the song “Right Now”, while the harmonies really stand out in the song “Promise Ring”.
What I appreciate about The Flips is that it’s a mature effort. They take time to carefully construct their arrangements and interweave the lyrics in the most appropriate times in the songs in order to build that foundation. I read in their bio that they have songs that are taken from Nick’s battles with mental illness from “Better Days”, and this is The Flips goal, to make you feel and to relate what they are going through in order to encapsulate that parallel universe type of experience when you turn on The Flips. What a wonderful EP. Madness To Creation gives this a great 9 out of 10 stars. Here is the track listing:
- What’s The Plan?
- Right Now
- Promise Ring
- The Point
- Sadder Days(For Gene & Jo)
Check out their acoustic version of “What’s The Plan?” below:
Fans can find THE FLIPS at the following locations:
www.facebook.com/TheFlipsMusic
