Progressive music’s premier band impress yet again with Flare, a further dedication to profoundly fun and diverse writing and vibes that truly set them apart from others.
Release date: January 30, 2026 | Bella Union | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Bandcamp
plantoid are one of those progressive bands that make you wonder what the hell the others are doing. Imagine you’re at a multi-band show and the opener is so remarkably tight and refined, yet not sterile – still boundless with the soul of fun and whimsy – that it sets unreasonably high expectations for the rest of the bands who ultimately don’t meet their level. That’s what listening to new plantoid music is like.
I’ve love this trio since I heard their debut album, Terrapath, an alien-like trip through psych, prog, and jazz, but reservedly so. Like, if nothing else, plantoid should be celebrated for their subtlety and nuance. Those that don’t like the out-there technicality of more traditional prog can feel at home with their music because it’s much more understated without losing any of that adventurousness or aforementioned whimsy. Flare‘s a bit more out there for them, but more so in energy than anything else and it’s something you simply need to hear if anything I’ve said so far has piqued interest, especially if you, like me, are fans of (now sadly defunct?) prog rock bands like Vesper Sails and Death And The Penguin.
Starting 2026 with this album feels like a good omen, a warm and comforting one heralding that maybe, just maybe, things will be all right (they won’t, but damn, lying to yourself feels good sometimes). Maybe it’s Chloe Spence’s very astutely used woodwind-like croon, or the organic and jazz-inflected drums from Louis Bradshaw that lull me into this feeling. The latter provides such a nice bounce too, making sure you don’t rest too much. Take the end of “The Weaver” as an example where they enter this rhythm that demands at least some head nodding if not full-on body swaying to the beat. The band has a knack for that kind of thing – fans will remember the end of “Is That You?” being similarly toned.
That’s far from the only moment too. “Ultivatum Cultivation” is one of my faves on this LP, a total plantoid affair with more staccato-styled vocals from Spence and the melody gets stuck in your head which is totally fine by me. The end is boldly adorned with horns and provides another profoundly bouncy moment that makes me smile like hell. “Dozer”, one of the album’s singles, has playful guitar riffing provided by lead guitarist Tom Coyne and drum rhythms in its intro that smacks of ’80s pop rock, Spence’s vocal flare (ha?) kicking that notion from accusation to confirmation, at least until the instrumental break happens in the middle and toys with a more leery mood before jumping back in full force with the expressive rock allure they’re so good at.
“Good For You”, the other album single up to this point of writing, is classically understated plantoid as well, focusing on vocals and complementary, floaty melodies. I mean, we usually get those in other songs by them, but this one is dedicated to it; a fine and calm middle point that acts like a soothing hearth before venturing out again into territory not visited too often, which is exactly what the band do here. “Splatter” is short and sweet, something the band don’t indulge in terribly often, and it’s a bona fide rocker, notably higher octane for plantoid which is a welcomed departure. “Slow Moving” deals with R&B-like affectation in the vocals. A name that comes to mind in some sections is Adele, SPELLLING on others, the former expounded by Spence’s English lilt becoming more apparent on some words than others.
All this and more culminates in a truly beautiful and fun album. Flare‘s a light in the dark as we twist into an uncertain year across the world. Will things really get better or are we further dooming ourselves through hubris and ignorance? Perhaps it’s best to focus on the self, not in a prohibitively individualistic way, but more in the sense of “Good For You” which deals with personal rebirth and centering yourself as an entity worth time, energy, and consideration. After all, even if we aim to save the world, we can only do so if we ourselves are in good shape. plantoid provide the soundtrack to explore that, eyes closed and pulse stabled, with spikes of life just to confirm we are alert and alive despite it all.
I love this band and each new project offers new reasoning why. With Terrapath, it was bending wavy, spacey music into something vibrant and tactile, paradoxically grounded by prog standards. Flare achieves similar, but starts out on earth itself, feeling more focused on the beings that inhabit worlds than the worlds themselves. It’s intimate, bold, and keenly different without being abrasive or too left-field. It’s the best, most exciting start to this year that we could probably ask for, as aligning as it is resonant, like hearing your own personal sonic key to unlock parts of your mind you don’t visit enough. For once, things feel hopeful with plantoid in tow.
