FloreJack – “Mode7”

Julien Daval has crafted something special under his FloreJack moniker with his debut album “Mode7”. The album works like a beautifully written book, where you need to hear the chapters in their exact order. It takes us through a landscape where actual places, people, and objects, from a real castle to a bridge and even a little rabbit, are woven into a gorgeous, organic folk tale. Knowing that Daval wrote these songs while recovering from a major accident makes the ultimate feeling of hope and recovery feel incredibly authentic.

The visual artwork is just as inviting, depicting a map of this world with a guitarist pointing toward a castle on a hill, a winding path, and a little rabbit sitting nearby. It perfectly matches the warmth of the music. Acoustic textures form the heart of the record, though it gracefully expands with sweeping strings and rich orchestral colors. Tracks like “Blindly” and “Merry” draw you in immediately with their strong, melody-driven focus. From there, the record moves beautifully through “Shut your eyes open” and the wonderful “Painted”. We meet characters in “Jonny” and “Pour Camille,” before moving through the energy of “Watch my gun” and “New Breath”. The playful acoustic tones of “Quirky Chips” lead into the quiet, late-night atmosphere of “Water dripping down my leg – 3 AM”.

I absolutely love this release. It is a warm, deeply human journey that rewards you more and more each time you sit down and listen to it from start to finish. The way FloreJack translates real-life healing into these acoustic melodies is just beautiful. I highly recommend that you go back and check out Julien Daval’s previous releases to see how his songwriting has grown over the years. Make sure to follow FloreJack on his music platforms and social media so you can stay updated on everything he has planned for the rest of this year, because an independent artist this talented deserves all the support we can give him.