Review Summary: So catchy, it hurts.
Bleach Blonde released their debut EP in January of this year. At first I was reluctant to listen to it. Hearing constant comparison to "Drop Dead, Gorgeous" (a band I never really could get into) I just couldn't be bothered to listen. After my good friend badgered me endlessly, I finally gave it a chance. I, surprisingly, really enjoyed it. Of course, it is only three tracks in length. But although it is short, it gave a taste of what to expect for the full length that was due sometime later that year.
Well, here we are, it's nearing the end of September and "Starving Artist" is finally out. The album is packed full of beautiful and memorable tracks. Fans of Drop Dead, Gorgeous, beware, you won't find any screams here. Danny Stillman drops the harsh vocals completely, instead using his soaring clean vocals. The guitars are very simple, leads are layered and sprinkled throughout the record. Stealing the spotlight only when necessary. The bass hugging the guitars and the drums just holding a beat, the instrumentation isn't anything groundbreaking. That isn't a bad thing, but it isn't a good thing. I found myself to be a little bored at times during a handful of songs.
The album does seem to have a pretty good flow to it for a while. The opening track, Miss Messenger, demands your attention right away. The album does a good job of keeping that attention until the 6th track. This is the point where the songs just seem to recycle previous ideas. Although these recycled and reused sections and structures are good, they start to get old pretty quick. The last track, "Crystal Clear", does end the album on a good note, however. The slow acoustic song soothes and calms until the full band comes in to close out the album.
The most notable thing about this album is how quickly it gets in your head. I've caught myself humming the chorus to "Headed West" multiple times since the record dropped. Yes, it is catchy, but it does get quite boring towards the middle. That being said, something about this album just keeps bringing me back to it. I find myself wanting to listen to it more and more. The only thing holding this group now is their songwriting ability. Will they improve in the future? We can only hope so, but until then, lets just enjoy what we have.
