Review Summary: Bleach Blonde give us a teaser of what will come in the future. A debut full length is due sometime later this year, and hopefully Stillman and co. will be able to build on a very promising trio of songs that are catchy and leave you wanting more.
Recently signed to Rise Records, Bleach Blonde was formed while vocalist Danny Stillman was sending lyrics back and forth via email to drummer Danny Cooper and guitarist David Barella when Drop Dead, Gorgeous went on hiatus. If you were to judge the book by its cover you would think that this EP would be filled with screamed vocals and other clichés within the genre. You will be pleasantly surprised to hear what is more along the lines of a Circa Survive or Tides of Man album as Stillman does his best at attempting to mirror Anthony Green’s vocal style.
Opener Sea Mint Pastel starts off with a very boring and uninspiring intro but then slowly transitions into Stillman singing over the rest of the band. Once it gets going, this song gives the listener a feel for what BB sounds like and sets up the next couple songs well. Play Catch Up is the best song on the EP and is easily the best song that Stillman and Cooper have ever made together as it displays dual vocals and a pop-punkish chorus that is very catchy and sets the stage for future songs to live up to. Third and final track This Is Instrumental takes a couple listens to digest completely. This song has a lot of experimentation and shows that the band is willing to try different things even within their own record. There are more dual vocals in this song which adds to the vocal depth as the second voice is deeper and rougher than Stillman’s higher pitched vocals. The drumming throughout the EP is solid and the guitars are driving, but they are pretty generic with the exception in parts of This Is Instrumental. The driving force behind the band is clearly Stillman who definitely has a lot of power in his voice.
Fans of Drop Dead Gorgeous will be disappointed to find that Bleach Blonde have a completey different style. Absent are the screaming vocals as well as the breakdown which are replaced with guitar melodies improved clean vocals by Stillman. If this debut proves anything, its that Bleach Blonde has the chance to do something special within the music scene and should be able to improve on some of the weaknesses presented in their debut.
