Track Review: Ellen May – Flowerbed
By far their most mature and moving track to date.

Ellen May’s latest single “Flowerbed” isn't just another addition to their growing catalogue—it’s a defining moment. While fans have come to expect soaring melodies, nostalgic emo textures, and poetic sincerity from the Perth-based band, Flowerbed shows a newfound depth and polish that sets it apart from everything that’s come before. It’s the kind of track that feels like the reward of sticking with a band as they grow—because this is the sound of that growth.

“We got the opportunity to work with Kyle Black after winning Pop Punk Fridays’ Emerging Artist Of The Year in 2024,” says Matthew Matusik. And that opportunity paid off in full.

Mixed and mastered by pop-punk heavyweight Kyle Black (Paramore, The Story So Far), Flowerbed carries the rawness of a self-recorded track with the punch and clarity of a seasoned studio effort. You can feel it in the mix—the guitars cut with precision, the drums sit tight and urgent, and the vocal layers bloom just where they need to.

What makes Flowerbed such a standout is its structure, which mirrors the emotional arc of the lyrics with remarkable grace. The song opens with restrained vulnerability—a delicate guitar riff, space between phrases, and a near-whispered delivery that draws you in with intimacy. But it doesn’t stay still. Each section builds with intent, moving from aching reflection to emotional disruption with tightly controlled pacing. This isn’t chaos—it’s catharsis.

By the time the final breakdown hits, the track has earned its climax. It’s not just a wall of sound—it’s a collapse, a crash, a controlled detonation of everything the verses kept bottled up.

Sonically, Flowerbed is a love letter to early 2000s emo-pop, but updated with a clean, modern edge. The guitar work is layered and dynamic, moving from glassy clean arpeggios to grit-laden rhythm hits. The bridge showcases a gorgeous interplay between lead lines and chugging rhythm, all while never overshadowing the vocal narrative.

The drums are worth highlighting too—tight, expressive, and always in service to the emotion. You can hear restraint in the verses and aggression in the chorus, but it’s that mid-tempo, half-time breakdown that leaves the deepest impression. It slows down just enough to force you to feel every word that follows.

Lyrically, Flowerbed is a gut punch dressed in metaphor. The track explores themes of obsessive love, loss, and the realisation that someone else has taken your place in a world you helped build. Lines like:

“How does your garden grow without me?”

hit hard because they’re so human. The metaphor of a flowerbed—once shared, now tended by another—is devastating in its quiet elegance. It’s the imagery of someone watching love bloom again, just not for them.

There’s a personal ache here that can only come from lived experience. It’s not bitter, but it is haunted.

Final Thoughts

In Flowerbed, Ellen May have struck emotional gold. It's a track that doesn’t just ask to be heard—it demands to be felt. From the textured guitars to the lyrical gut-wrench, to the precise mixing from Kyle Black, every element comes together in a track that’s both massive and deeply personal.

Whether you're a longtime fan or new to the band, Flowerbed marks a new era for Ellen May. It’s the kind of song that makes you stop what you’re doing, sit with your feelings, and hit replay the second it ends.

9.5/10 – A career-defining moment.

Ellen may have a new playlist that showcase bands within the scene in Perth WA