Flo Crowe And The Dilemmas: Shy Girl
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Cornish musical wunderkind Flo Crowe and her merry band of Dilemmas follow up their bittersweet debut, That Was That, with the equally mellifluous but subtly defiant Shy Girl, a call to arms to anyone who still feels subjugated in our brave new world of equality and emancipation.
Echoing similar sentiments to those expressed by X-Ray Spex in Oh Bondage Up Yours!’, albeit with greater subtlety, Flo sets the context:
“Part of the idea behind ‘Shy Girl’ is to kick back against the expectation of women needing to be ‘seen and not heard’ and demure – that tradwife thing we are hearing about in some areas of social media. The so-called ‘Shy Girl’ is polite and won’t make a fuss. Well! We think, along with many other women, that we have the right to make a fuss. This idea is brought to life in the very first lyric line… ‘Outta my way’ immediately crushes any false impression you may get from the song title.”
The fact that such comparable declarations are being made almost 50 years apart offers food for thought.
Of course, a strong message, however thought-provoking and eloquent, is only as powerful as the musical medium which carries it. Flo Crowe And The Dilemmas need have no concerns on that front as they deliver a sparkling helping of well-crafted, jazz-tinged pop magic. With its orchestral intro, delightful harmonies, resounding keys-driven mid-section, the crystal clarity of Flo’s heavenly voice and the catchy refrain, ‘Shy girl, You know that it’s ok to be a shy girl, But don’t forget to learn how to fly girl’, the song is another example of this most promising band’s ability to blend the vitality of youth with an artistic maturity beyond their years. The result is a record which achieves the perfect balance between creative integrity and popular appeal.
These are still early days for Flo Crowe And The Dilemmas, so what’s next for the young five-piece?
Flo: “Earlier this year I said that I was hopeful that our music and the motivation behind what we do would connect way beyond our native Cornwall – that we wanted to invite everyone, wherever they are, to join our clan.”
With a bunch of songs already in the can, an appearance at the renowned Boardmasters festival under their belt, BBC Introducing airplay and widespread critical acclaim, it really does feel like a case of ‘Today Cornwall, tomorrow the world.’
Flo Crowe And The Dilemmas Linktree
All words by Robin Boardman. More writing from Robin for Louder Than War can be found at his author’s archive.
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