ALBUM REVIEW: SOFTCULT - WHEN A FLOWER DOESN’T GROW (30/01/26)
For Softcult, twin sisters Mercedes and Phoenix Arn-Horn, moving from a few short EPs to a full-length album feels like finally getting to tell the whole story. While their early singles were quick snapshots of emotions, a debut album is the first time the siblings have the space to really open up.
On their debut full-length When A Flower Doesn't Grow, the siblings deliver Softcult’s most unflinching work to date. Born from a period of personal upheaval, the album explores the path from trauma to liberation, anchored by a central philosophy: “When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” The album’s title is a nod to the environmental and social factors that stunt personal growth. Throughout the tracklist, the sisters tackle heavy themes with a blend of empathy and righteous anger: predatory behaviour, gaslighting and empowerment.
After years of testing out their sound and finding their voice, this record is where everything finally clicks. Produced by the band themselves, the production on this record is a massive step forward. It retains the shimmering textures of Cocteau Twins and the crushing, reverb-soaked weight of My Bloody Valentine, but there is a new "cleanliness" to the melodies that allows Mercedes’ vocals to pierce through the atmosphere and make the Softcult sound truly their own.
The album’s title is a nod to the environmental and social factors that stunt personal growth. Throughout the tracklist, the sisters tackle heavy themes with a blend of empathy and righteous anger: predatory behaviour, gaslighting and empowerment.
After a brief, soft intro track, the album opens up with the single ‘Pill To Swallow’ setting the stage with a masterclass in the "spiritual grunge" sound that the Arn-Horn siblings have pioneered: an immersive blend of shoegaze textures and 90s alt-rock grit.
Released in July 2025 as the second single, ‘Naive’ follows, using a "wall of sound" approach and bringing more grunge rawness and dreamier side to the record. ‘16/25’ is up next and brings more indie-pop vibes, confronting the predatory power dynamics often found in the music industry and society at large.
‘She Said, He Said’ is Softcult’s definitive punk anthem against gaslighting and the dismissal of women’s voices following sexual assault on a first date. It truly feels like a "mosh-pit ready" track that provides a cathartic release for the heavier theme it discusses.
‘Hurt Me’ is so far the heaviest track, it explores the "doomed loop" of abuse and the paranoia it leaves behind. Musically quiet verses detonate into a discordant chorus, mirroring the way suppressed trauma eventually explodes.
Meanwhile, ‘I Held You Like Glass’ is a beautiful, yearning highlight that shows Softcult’s softer side. It features acoustic foundations and ethereal vocals, detailing the process of letting go of a toxic relationship. It’s a moment of pure, reflective healing.
The eighth track ‘Queen of Nothing’ slows the tempo down, a song tackling the lack of autonomy in a patriarchal world. Mercedes’ lyrics are sharp: “It’s a man’s world / You can’t live in it for free.”
‘Not Sorry’ is grunge-infused anthem about refusing to let the ignorance or hatred of others diminish your self-esteem. It acts as a defiant declaration of self-worth as the album nears its conclusion.
The closing song ‘When A Flower Doesn’t Grow’ wraps up the album’s central metaphor: if a flower fails to grow, you fix the soil, not the flower. Starting with twinkling acoustics and soft keys, it swells into a post-rock wall of sound that feels like a long, cleansing exhale. It is a finale rooted in radical optimism and self-acceptance.
When A Flower Doesn't Grow is not only a "shoegaze" record, but has established itself as an immersive, socially conscious experience, mastering the art of making the listener feel like they are floating in a dream while simultaneously being woken up by a hard truth in equal measure.
