Rahill - Flowers At Your Feet Review
Flowers At Your Feet is a mature, intimate, and heartfelt album that captures the essence of Jamalifard's journey.
Rahill Jamalifard, the Brooklyn-based artist and founding member of the garage-rock group Habibi, has released her debut solo album Flowers At Your Feet. The album is a contemplative, self-reflective, and introspective work, characterized by the artist's Iranian heritage, personal memories, and love of family. The album is a departure from Jamalifard's previous work with Habibi and marks her emergence as a singer-songwriter with a unique voice and style.
The album is a reflection of the personal and often contemplative mood of the songs. Flowers At Your Feet delves into memory, reflecting on childhood and family, sifting through time, and ultimately arriving at a state of quiet grace and self-love. The album title intimates the deep emotional connection and reverence that Jamalifard has for family, heritage, and Iranian culture, evident in her love for Iranian music and culture.
Drawing from her multicultural background, Rahill infuses her music with elements of Iranian and American culture, creating a sound that is both nostalgic and contemporary. The album's title, "Flowers At Your Feet," is a beautiful metaphor for the memories we leave behind and the impact we have on future generations. Rahill's contemplative and diaristic approach to songwriting creates a sense of intimacy that invites listeners to reflect on their own lives and memories.
The album's art, a hazy photograph of an infant Rahill, damp hair precociously done-up in a wrapped towel, wearing a gold necklace, speaks to the significance of passed-down charms and their powerful meaning and sentimentality. The necklace was gifted to her by her grandmother on her first trip to Iran when she was a year old. Since her grandmother's passing, the value and appreciation of the charms have only deepened.
Recorded in phases during the Covid pandemic, Flowers At Your Feet is a close collaboration between Jamalifard and producer Alex Epton, known for his work with FKA Twigs and Arca. The album features a range of eclectic and talented players, including the art-pop revolutionary Beck, who worked with Jamalifard on the track "Fables."
Lead single ‘I Smile for E’ is a tribute to family and memory, featuring a recording of a beloved late aunt singing "In honor of you" in Farsi. The song, along with other tracks on the album, includes artifacts culled from Jamalifard's private cosmogony, such as field recordings, audio from home movies, references to film and poetry, and allusions to sports legends. These sonic novelties are intuitively, universally familiar, prompting the listener to construct their very own memory palace.
Flowers At Your Feet is a mature, intimate, and heartfelt album that captures the essence of Jamalifard's journey as an artist and as a person. It is a testament to her creativity, versatility, and ambition, showcasing her ability to work across mediums with singular ease and earnestness. The album marks a new phase in Jamalifard's career, one that promises to be filled with even more artistic explorations, collaborations, and surprises.