Their first album, Native Speaker (2011), has received mostly praise from critics, remarkable for its innovative melodies and Standell-Preston's "dynamic" vocals.
Keyboardist Katie Lee left the group during the recording of their 2013 album, Flourish // Perish. Raphaelle Standell-Preston is also the vocal half of Blue Hawaii.
The 30th of April 2015 they released 'Deep In The Iris', their third album.
Victoria
Braids Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To get out of my head
Maybe he meant to see what's next to me
A beautiful three
With their roots extending
I hope forever
Happily
That anyone has
To explain like Pat after a fight onstage
With his brother
And
Especially
The backtracking
On the days like
I should have gotten the balloons like
I said I would I
Well I ran to the store
To pick whites and sparkles and gold
To have a night forever told
We ran to the store
My love and I
And met an angel in disguise
Who's doing a million things
All at once
I'm so glad Love walked home with her
The two of them
Moving down the street and
out of sight
The lyrics of Braids's song "Victoria" convey the introspective musings of the singer about the importance of being present in the moment with those we love. The song opens with the memory of the singer's father advising them to get out of their head and focus on the present. The next lines reveal a poetic image of three beautiful beings with their roots extending, a metaphor for the support and connection that can be found in those closest to us. The singer hopes that this connection will last forever, thus achieving a state of happiness.
The next lines seem to reference a personal experience where someone had to apologize or explain themselves after a fight on stage. The singer empathizes with this situation and possibly even reflects on their own similar experience. The pain of backtracking, of regretting not having kept one's word, is also spoken of. However, the song takes a turn towards optimism with the decision to run to the store to buy supplies for a memorable night. The last lines pay homage to an angel-like being the singer and their love met that day, and are relieved that Love walked home with her. The song ends with an image of the two figures moving down the street and out of sight, a reminder of the fleeting yet precious nature of human connection.
Line by Line Meaning
My father always said
My father always gave me advice
To get out of my head
To stop overthinking
Maybe he meant to see what's next to me
Perhaps he meant to appreciate the things around me
A beautiful three
Three beautiful objects
With their roots extending
With their origins stretching back in time
I hope forever
I hope they last forever
Happily
In a state of joy
And I feel bad
I feel guilty
That anyone has
That someone else might have to
To explain like Pat after a fight onstage
To have to apologize in front of an audience like Pat Benatar did after a fight with her brother on stage
With his brother
With his sibling
And
Also
Especially
Particularly
The backtracking
Having to take back something that was said
On the days like
On days when
I should have gotten the balloons like
I regret not getting the balloons as promised
I said I would I
I promised to do it
Well I ran to the store
So, I went to the store
To pick whites and sparkles and gold
To buy decorations of various colors
To have a night forever told
To have a memorable evening
We ran to the store
My love and I went to the store
My love and I
My significant other and I
And met an angel in disguise
And encountered someone who was kind and helpful
Who's doing a million things
Who is always busy
All at once
Simultaneously
I'm so glad Love walked home with her
I'm happy that my partner walked with her
The two of them
My significant other and the angel
Moving down the street and I'm smiling
Walking together, and I feel content
As I turn in for the night
As I go to bed
Contributed by Micah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.