Great Bloomers - Speak Of Trouble (2009)
Genre : Indie,Folk-Rock,Canada GOOD!!
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Tracklist
01. Lobbyist
02. The Young Ones Slept
03. Honey Blanket
04. Daylight
05. This Ain't You
06. Speak Of Trouble
07. Admit Defeat
08. Fever Days
09. Last Of My Faith
10. Dark Horse
11. Thorn In My Side
Back in ’07, I wrote some very kind words about the Ontario band, the Great Bloomers. Their debut EP was a terrific mix of southern rock, distortion, piano and nicely executed Beach Boys harmonies, but was steeped in potential. Needless to say, I’ve been waiting over a year for a follow up full length – partly because they re-released the EP and partly because the band has been touring the shit out of their songs and tightening the screws so to speak – but honestly I wish more young bands would take a page from that same book.
Their new LP, Speak Of Trouble, is a huge jump in sound for the band and shows a maturity that only comes from hours on stage and in the jam space. They didn’t rush into the studio, trying to grab a stranglehold on any of the positive praise they received, opting instead to produce and release an album when it was ready, not simply when the songs were finished. Speak of Trouble explodes out of the gate with the surging epic energy of Lobbyist. They still expose some of the same Southern rock, but it’s the dazzling piano that twinkles just behind the guitars that really completes the song.
At first I was scared the album might be front loaded, as the first four songs are all can't miss efforts, until I realized they all expose different elements to the Bloomers sound. The Young Ones Slept surges along, letting Lowell's voice grab the spotlight but the crunch and transitions really play well against more terrific piano. Honey Blanket has a country shuffle, but the band adds such a blissful sheen to the song with glistening harmonies and chugging drums and you honestly can’t help but smile and enjoy the three and a half minutes. They even change the tone with a 50’s influenced piano breakdown before jumping back into a gallop and that burst of energy flows nicely into the country jam session, AM radio feel of Daylight.
It’s probably no surprise that this record is fun (just listen to the harmonies on the title track), as the band seems to appreciate the success they’ve had, the people they’ve met and the places they’ve seen. Fever Days is as honest a tribute song as I’ve heard from such a young band. They say thanks without resorting to cheesy sentiments or forced significance and even throw in a little facemelter that doesn’t derail the song. [Source/Herohill]
