Flash Poetry Captures The Chaos and The Calm of Modern Life on Debut Album 'Reality, Now'
In an age of overstimulation and spiritual homelessness, art speaks to the deeper parts of ourselves that the modern world makes it too easy to ignore. Flash Poetry fires back with ‘Reality, Now’, his debut album out today. It is a kaleidoscope of hip hop, psych rock, roots, reggae and jazz topped with a powerful commentary on society's contradictions and the socio-political landscape.
‘Reality, Now’ is an album about seeing the world as it truly is, the awe, the absurdity and the ache of being alive in an overstimulated age. Across twelve tracks, Flash Poetry dissects the myths we live by: money as god, technology as salvation, war as entertainment and love as the last fragile truth. It is a cultural reflection and a call to consciousness. Nico Lim shares:
"This is a lyrical exploration of humanity's midlife crisis - an antidote to nihilism, a philosophical cipher and an irreverent collision of the hyper-modern and the ancient.
The album fuses the groove of hip hop with the warmth of roots and reggae, the grit of psych rock and blues, and the looseness of jazz and funk. Much of the album leans into a laid-back, mellow groove, where warmth and space leave room for Nico's lyricism.
The album opens with ‘Reality, Now’, a smooth, down-tempo groove that questions how money and technology have replaced meaning. ‘Every Ism is a Wasm’ follows with psychedelic guitars and a blues-rock swing, poking fun at modern tribalism and the marketplace of memes. ‘The Secret Life of Urban Trees’ keeps that live-band energy, an upbeat roots-hop ode to the quiet wisdom of nature growing through concrete.
Swaggering blues takes over on ‘From Dawn Till Dark’, tracing evolution from the Big Bang to the Big Mac, while ‘Cracks’ builds on floaty keys and electronic percussion to warn of history’s repeating mistakes. ‘Circles’ slows things back down, layering kaleidoscopic synths and delayed guitars around reflections on what it means to be human.
Roots and hip hop collide on ‘Make God Great Again’, a tongue-in-cheek look at modern spirituality, before ‘Bright Lights’ slides into a funky late-night groove. ‘Eye for Eye’ tightens the focus with gritty guitars and pulsing bass, confronting the pressure to stay productive and numb.
The closing tracks reveal Nico’s full range, from the tender spoken-word love ballad ‘All Love Needs’, through the satirical chaos of ‘2043 Shop Like a Billionaire Bloodbath’, to the final rallying cry ‘Reality, Now, Pt. 2’, a call to reclaim presence in a restless age.
Ultimately, the album feels organic yet intentional, built around Nico’s voice as it moves between spoken word, rap and poetry. The result is an album mellow enough to unwind with, yet gritty enough to hit its subjects head-on.
'Reality, Now' is out everywhere now.
'Reality, Now' Album launch - Event Page
Friday, Dec 13 - Black Spark Cultural Centre, Northcote VIC
w/ Sissy Heff, Neeko and Mr. C | Entry - Donation
'Reality, Now' - Album Out Friday, November 28
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