Review by Bethany Taylor
Released: 31 October
Pure Noise Records
After witnessing their Withered Across Australia tour recently, I declared Bloom to be in their emo era. Now their sophomore album The Light We Chase is finally here, which means we have the audio evidence to support my hypothesis. It gives me great joy to confirm that while this is a melodic hardcore album, it is also an emo album.
Even though the album is being released on Halloween, I don’t mean emo in a Nightmare Before Christmas sense, but rather lyrically and vocally. It’s not about eyeliner, it’s about feelings. Namely: nostalgia for youth and your home town, loneliness and heartbreak, questioning the path you’re on. All the key pillars are present here, alongside the inclusion of clean vocals throughout.
Hardcore purists, The Light We Chase might not be for you. It’s true that frontman Jono Hawkey does a fair bit of screaming over the course of this record, but this is your warning: here be ballads. As one line in ‘Keep You‘ observes, “there’s beauty in silence” but Bloom have also found beauty in softness this time around. The sentimental singalong features no screaming whatsoever, as per recent single ‘Tongue Tied’. These slow jams feature angelic vocals from Movements’ Patrick Miranda and Yours Truly’s Mikaila Delgado respectively, and provide much needed breathing space between the more chaotic moments on the album.
Strangely enough, the melodic songs are my personal favorites on this album. I feel that for some of the heavier numbers, something doesn’t quite translate from the stage to the record, and the sheer energy of Bloom’s impressive live presence hasn’t been captured.
Certainly, songs like ‘Forget Me Not’ are a step up from anything on previous effort Maybe In Another Life. And the musicianship is undeniable – shout out to Jack McVie’s insane drumming on ‘Life Moves on Without Us.’ And in terms of sound, Sam Bassal (of Ocean Grove fame) has done a tight job on production here so I want to give kudos where they’re due.
My theory is just that the visceral nature of melodic hardcore, as a genre, is best showcased live. For me, the physical performance from the band and the crowd is a key part of enjoying the experience, and the recorded version just can’t compare. In Bloom’s case, I would much prefer to see a song like ‘Only Sky’ performed on a stage, rather than hearing it through my car speakers. Whereas ‘Tongue Tied’ works perfectly for both scenarios.
Regardless of this, I want to emphasise how impressed I was with the lyricism which is present on Bloom’s sophomore effort. Opening track ‘Belrose’ grabs the listener by the hand, inviting “walk back with me, and I’ll show you everything”. Anyone who has spent time away from their home, especially if that home is in Australia, will find much to relate to here. It’s not surprising Bloom are feeling a bit nostalgic for mulberry trees and the suburban streets of Sydney after they’ve spent so much time away touring overseas recently.
Of course there’s the obligatory ode to a failed relationship (see: ‘Glen Street’) but largely, the themes across the majority of the album are permeated by another human horror – the question of worth. As drummer Jack Van Vliet explains, “the light we chase can be the path to our own desolation.” He gives the examples: “Was this relationship worth it? Is my career everything I thought it would be? Is the life I’m living worth all the things I’ve gone through?”
These questions have led to lyrical themes which are simultaneously searching for the light, and wondering whether the chase is even worth it. Which brings us to ‘Withered.’ Undoubtedly the perfect choice for the single, it distils the light vs. dark subject matter into one furious track with a helluva breakdown. It’s a spiritual successor to ‘Cold,’ by which I mean – if you could only choose one song from the album to listen to, make it this one. My other top pick from the heavier tracks is the most recent single ‘Out of Reach’ which perfectly balances high energy and emotion, a big chorus with an even bigger breakdown.
After so much rumination on memories and past choices, album closer ‘Show Me Who I Am’ provides a welcome resolution to the lyrical uncertainty present throughout:
“I’m on my own / No one to lead me home / One day I’ll just breathe.”
The Light We Chase could also be titled The Sunk Cost Fallacy. Your past choices are a part of you, yes, and you can’t escape them. Regardless, you can’t go back, only forward, even if you take the journey alone.
I’m still not sure how it will go for replay value, but I appreciate the artistic statement Bloom have created here. It’s not just a collection of songs, it’s a search for meaning. Not bad for a few boys from Sydney.
Review by Bethany Taylor
Rating: 7.5/10
The Light We Chase is out Friday. Pre-save here
Bloom – The Light We Chase tracklisting:
01. Belrose
02. Forget Me Not
03. Out Of Reach
04. Keep You (ft. Pat Miranda)
05. Glen Street
06. Life Moves On Without Us
07. Act II (ft. Jack Bergin)
08. Withered
09. Only Sky
10. Tongue Tied (ft. Yours Truly)
11. Show Me Who I Am
