I was delighted to see Drake knocked off after that atrocious album last week, and pleased to see Maisie Peters do it. I enjoyed her last record, and even though “Florescence” is an okay album, it feels like a step back from “The Good Witch”. The songwriting and wit are still sharp as ever and, of course, observational, which is what she is really good at considering her remote surroundings during her childhood, but this record doesn’t reach the heights of the previous effort.

Tracks like ‘Kingmaker( ft Julia Michaels)’, ‘Audrey Hepburn’, and ‘My Regards’ showcase her clever lyricism and memorable characters. Unfortunately, the majority of the record is less urgent than ‘The Good Witch’; I loved the intensity and cinematic nature of that album, whereas ‘Florescence‘ is a gentle stroll through Hampstead Heath during the day. However, some of the tracks like ‘If You Let Me’ (ft Marcus Mumford), and ‘Nothing Like Being in Love’ show maturity, but they don’t keep the listener’s attention. Like most of the album, the hooks don’t land, and the majority of the tracks all blur together, in stark contrast to her previous album. You would be hard pushed to find a fan favourite.

What I will say is that the record has strong, reflective songwriting, but it lacks the tension and ambition that made “The Good Witch” successful. It may be more mature, which isn’t a bad thing, but it lacks excitement and energy.

The songwriting is impressive, the tracks are easy to listen to, but your attention wanders too often. Unfortunately, it was a significant step back from her best work.

Song recommendations: ‘If You Let Me’, ‘Audrey Hepburn’, ‘Nothing Like Being in Love’

6/10