“No Place Like Home” - BADFLOWER

Badflower – No Place Like Home

Sad Bangers, Feral Feelings, and Dead Pets

American rock mob Badflower first made waves back in 2015 with their single Soap, then dropped their debut album OK, I’m Sick in 2019, headlined by the gut punching Ghost - a track that basically catapulted them into the emo rock stratosphere. Since then, they’ve climbed US rock charts, toured like maniacs, and dropped 2021’s This Is How the World Ends. Now, nearly four years later, they’re back with album number four - No Place Like Home, and mate, it’s a ride.

Right off the bat, the title track kicks the door in like a hungover political protest. There’s a gritty undercurrent, part Wizard of Oz, part existential breakdown, that sets the mood for a record that’s equal parts emotional collapse and headbang fodder. Haunting You slaps you with fuzzy guitars and big, radio-friendly energy, while London slows it down for a beautifully bleak wander through isolation and longing. Honestly, it’s like someone bottled a sad rainy day and turned it into a tune.

But here’s the twist, the deeper you get into the 13-track journey, the more unhinged and better it gets. Detroit hits with a rare maturity, Swinging Hammer is a neck-snapper, and Number 1 somehow sounds like No Doubt went on a bender with Maroon 5. Wild, but it works.

Then comes Paws. Jesus Christ. A song about a dead pet has no business hitting that hard, but here we are - snot nosed, sobbing into a stubby, and Googling dog adoption centres. It’s tender, stripped back, and fucks you up.

Sure, there’s still some shiny, slightly misplaced tracks (Snuff, we’re looking at you), but Badflower’s songwriting chops carry it through. They’re not reinventing the wheel here, but they’re absolutely melting some black hearts along the way.

Standout Track: Paws

Release Date: June 20, 2025

Label: Big Machine Records