Bloomsday first came to my attention with the release of The Day The Colours Died, and I've been waiting to hear more ever since I got that. I didn't hear anything about them, though, until a couple of months ago when messages came through that they were splitting up and that this EP would be released as their swan-song. Shame.
Musically, this is emo. It seems a little lighter than the full-length album, and not quite as distorted, but the melancholic vocals make sure that it stays fairly dark. The guitar playing uses a nice mix of distortion and clean tones (along with a lot of delay), and the bass maintains a strong presence with some creative lines. The band is tight, held together well by the pounding drums. The second track is actually an instrumental, building from shimmering guitar to a towering, but still slightly restrained, crescendo, while the fourth track shows they can still cut it in acoustic mode.
The album stays dark when the lyrics come into focus. The lyrics seem well-written, although occasionally a little hard to decipher.
I was disappointed that the band was splitting before I heard this album, and now I am even more so. This EP shows a lot of promise, and if the guys ever decide to re-unite I'll be waiting.
4 tocks
Similar sounding releases
2004NeurosisThe Eye of Every Storm
2000Starflyer 59Easy Come, Easy Go
2001Lift to ExperienceThe Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads
2000GloryboxVacuum
2002EeFor 100 We Try Harder
2001My Education5 Popes
