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Venus. The Roman Goddess of Love the ruling planet of love and desire. Venus & the Flytraps? A small Nashville-based indie band of 2 who just released their sophomore album Venus in Love. 

Venus in Love captures the all-encompassing feelings, sounds, and speeds of love. A five-track dive into what love means to the Flytraps, they glide you through the ups and downs, the slow, the fast, and the range of emotions. 

Beginning with “Unrequitable” this is a personal favorite of mine. The lyrics write, 

Wait a sec baby, just cause I don’t want you / Doesn’t mean that it’s over / It doesn’t have to be over / You can still chase me, make me feel like magic / It’ll be tragically beautiful / And you’ll be miserable.

Unrequited love gets a bad reputation. Of course, it hurts for the person who feels stronger, but like they say, it “doesn’t mean that it’s over.” Some of our relationships are unrequited, but there’s something magical in “the chase” and how it makes people feel. Sometimes the build-up is more of an adrenaline rush than the domesticity.  Is this a crazy idea? 

Don’t be so dramatic / I’m not psychopathic / I just want to be wanted / And what’s wrong with that?

According to them, not at all. It’s a human desire to be loved and wanted by somebody. It might sound bad, but the feeling of being wanted often fills a void that is larger than that of being together. It’s not a bad thing; it’s just honest. And with the conclusion of this relatable song, we are taken into “Red Hot.”

Being flustered and a blushing mess is just a part of the attraction. It’s warm and makes butterflies swirl in your stomach, and most importantly (to them), it’s fun to make someone else feel like that. That’s what “Red Hot” is going after. That feeling of “pulling you in by the belt loops” and making you go “Red Hot.” This song is everything fun and exciting about falling and being in love. 

The thing about falling in love is you eventually do fall. It might move fast for a while, and in the cliché example of a rollercoaster, as you’re moving in the little coaster cart, picking up speed down the hill, you eventually flatten out and lose speed. In order to reach the “old married couple” stage of a relationship, you have to go through turmoil. That’s what “Worse Together” is about, the turbulence of a relationship that can make or break your bond. Like the rollercoaster, this song plays with speed, taking you on a mini rollercoaster ride as you listen.  

What is one of the things that Venus & the Flytraps do best, you ask? Yelling and screaming it is. Where “Worse Together” could be considered sadness and fear, “Scaredy Pants” is most definitely anger. It’s loud; it’s in your face, the calm and the storm all mixed into one. It’s a great sonic representation of an angry conversation with its loud and soft moments. If you’re feeling angry and want something to yell in your car about your ex or friend you’re mad at, give this one a listen for sure. 

You can’t end an album about love without talking about what comes after, especially after it’s been through this much. Ending on “Good to Be Bored,” they take it down a notch with a track that feels like reflective empowerment after someone has hurt you. 

You can call me whatever you want / you can’t hurt me anymore / I’ll always be the thing wrong with you / how’s it feel to be that pure.

The punch-to-the-throat lyricism in this song is gorgeously crafted, with this lyric evolving into “you can call me whatever you want / I don’t answer to you” at the end. It perfectly captures the way it feels when you learn to ignore the person you were once with who is so “bored” that they keep trying to bring you down. This song is a question and an answer all in one, and it’s another of my favorites for that reason. 

With that, the love story comes to a close. What a ride it was. What I love about this album is how dynamic it is. It catches you by surprise with every listen, and it’s like a great movie where you always notice something different each time you hear it. It has many different vibes, so there’s something to like for those who have different tastes. Give the full album a listen and keep an eye out for Venus & the Flytraps in the future for more from this dynamic duo!