About Last Night: Flo Morrissey

In a hotel lobby that held a group as diverse as she is eclectic, Flo Morrissey added her name to the list of touring artists to take part in Ace Hotel’s 5 at 5 series this Wednesday June 10th.

With no previous knowledge of Ms. Morrissey’s music, I didn’t know what I was in store for as I strode through the Ace Hotel’s main lobby.

Scanning the room, made up of a group ranging anywhere from long haired kids in Ramones shirts with skateboards in tow, to women in sundresses enjoying a happy hour cocktail, it would appear that Morrissey has ostensibly made a connection with a broad audience. (One fan went as far to say that she listens to Morrissey while she meditates.)

Competing with a lobby bar and several long tables full of laptop users at the room’s center, it would seem difficult to hold the attention of a place like this on a Wednesday afternoon but all eyes were on Morrissey from the moment she made her brief and soft voiced introduction before easing us into her set which consisted of five songs off her debut album “Tomorrow Will Be Beautiful”.

She was guitar clad for the first three songs of her set which culminated with the single from her album, “Pages of Gold”. With its catchy melody and her voice shifting from bubbly to airy, the song has a poetic aspect which best displays all of Morrissey’s musical qualities. It’s no surprise that it was chosen as the first single as it’s a great introduction to her style and feel as an artist. If you didn’t know any better you’d think the singer-songwriter from the UK was much older than 20.

For her final two songs she brought things back down and moved over to the keys performing “Why” and closing out with the haunting sounds in the song “If You Can’t Love This All Goes Away”, my personal favorite from her set and the song, garnered possibly her largest applause.She appears comfortable on stage and she puts that energy into the room.

Her performance is a soothing one, nearly hypnotic, with a sound reminiscent of Bjork meets Lana Del Rey. If Wednesday’s performance is any indication, it seems that Morrissey’s traction will only continue here in the States and she’ll likely find a home with the music lovers in Williamsburg. Whether you’re after some relaxing guitar and vocals to wind down your day, or looking for a new addition to your after-hours playlist, Flo Morrissey is certainly worth checking out.

By Michael Demyan

Photo by Jacqueline Harriet