-=- SHGZ -=-
* Shoegaze * Indie * Post-Rock * Grunge * Dream Pop * Psych-Rock * Ethereal *
ARTIST..: bdrmm
ALBUM...: Bedroom
GENRE...: Indie
STYLE...: Shoegaze, Dream Pop, Indie Rock, Indie Pop
YEAR....: 2020
LABEL...: Sonic Cathedral
COUNTRY.: UK
PLACE...: Hull
ENCODER.: FLAC 1.3.1 -8 -V
BITRATE.: 825 kbps avg
QUALITY.: 44.1kHz / 2 channels
SOURCE..: CD
TRACKS..: 10
SIZE....: 247.26 MB
URL..: http://www.facebook.com/smellybdrmm/
- TRACKLIST
1 Momo 3:35
2 Push/Pull 4:50
3 A Reason To Celebrate 3:44
4 Gush 3:46
5 Happy 3:46
6 (The Silence) 2:43
7 (Un)happy 3:23
8 If.... 4:51
9 Is That What You Wanted To Hear? 5:17
10 Forget The Credits 5:44
Total Playtime: 41:39
+++ bdrmm - 'Bedroom' review: a gripping modern-day shoegaze classic +++
The Hull five-piece have channelled the emotional turmoil around growing up
into a modern shoegaze classic:
our early twenties can often be so full of uncertainty, especially in today's
world. That's an understatement for Northern shoegazers bdrmm, who explained
to NME recently how their debut album 'Bedroom' deals with everything from
unplanned pregnancies through to alcohol and substance abuse, as well as the
resulting mental fallout.
'Bedroom' is an album that's been four years in the making - it's been that
long since frontman Ryan Smith wrote his first demo before clocking in for a
twelve-hour shift at his local pub. Quickly growing into a five-piece, it
wasn't long before bdrmm's bright shoegaze singles and live shows led to them
signing to Sonic Cathedral, a label renowned for being a paradise of noise,
and releasing their debut EP 'If Not, When?' in October. Nine months later,
bdrmm's first full-length record has arrived: churning with disarming
sentiment every step of the way, it's no wonder that Smith described the
writing and recording process as a form of therapy and escapism.
These weighty and brutally honest themes are immediately felt as the first
pulsing guitar notes of opening instrumental 'Momo' ring out. The track is
sharp and precise, yet showcases a band taking their time and announcing
themselves on their own terms. It's a beautiful and sparse introduction with
a looming sense of pent-up anxiety.
That moment comes with 'Push / Pull', a fittingly titled tangle of emotions
with spiralling guitars and dramatic percussion which throws us further into
a well of glimmering introspection. The vocals are worth the wait as Smith
drags you deeper into his headspace: "You don't know how much it meant to me
/ That we spent that night / So carefree." The track is a wonderful snapshot
of how this band are able to painstakingly craft a fascinating soundscape to
match the magnitude of their subject matter.
The experience of listening to shoegaze can so often lull you into a daze or
see you becoming lost in a wider picture - but these guys aren't having any
of that. Next up comes the heavy, stabbing-effect guitars of 'A Reason To
Celebrate', which wouldn't sound out of place on My Bloody Valentine's
'Loveless'. The track opens up into a canyon of euphoria as they sing "well,
it's okay for you to walk away" in a defining anthemic moment.
'Gush' then details the blunt feelings behind a relationship which is
presumably long done and dusted. Smith is bursting with sincerity as he
achingly muses: "It's not that I didn't try to keep my shit together / This
whole ordeal just took over." There's a lot of healing going on behind this
process, and it's matched with musicianship that treads a fine line between
sincere shoegaze and taut post-punk.
Single 'Happy' is a clear-cut standout through its pluckier and brighter
indie sound which is powered by propulsive, DIIV-like guitars. The album then
briefly drifts into a state of compelling and deeply gloomy exploration, with
a full-circle '(Un)happy' even sampling a grainy bus driver who was recorded
during a world-ending hangover. The band are, however, able to coast back
into familiarity with the effortless 'Is That What You Wanted To Hear?', a
track that echoes their inspiration points that range from Radiohead through
to Ride and Slowdive.
Vulnerability seeps through 'Bedroom' at every turn, but it's veiled in a
relatable beauty that's both meditative and cleansing. bdrmm have mastered
that fine art of conveying emotion through their music with a deft
intelligence, and their debut immerses you with each listen and says: "Hey,
it's okay to screw up now and again - but learn from it." A glorious and
human introduction, this is without doubt a modern-day shoegaze classic.
*
Hull, England five-piece bdrmm might be the most consonant-heavy musical
ensemble on the planet right now. But what they may lack in vowel usage they
more than make up for in the tunes department.
It's been a heady introduction for the band, having emerged from their humble
East Yorkshire beginnings in 2016 to self-releasing the single "Kare" two
years later. Picking up a host of glowing reviews along the way, it's no
wonder they were signed to an established label sooner rather than later. So,
when esteemed independent Sonic Cathedral Recordings came calling, the
alliance between bdrmm and the label was born.
Last year's If Not, When? EP highlighted the quintet as one of the most
exciting new guitar bands in the UK, and Bedroom, their long-awaited debut
LP, fully realizes their promise while hinting at even greater things to
come. The title, which explains the band's name in English rather than text
speak, demonstrates a maturity far beyond what their moniker suggests.
Comprised of 10 tracks in all, Bedroom feels like being transported into a
kitchen-sink drama where stories of unplanned pregnancy, alcohol abuse,
mental health, and the general rollercoaster of being twenty-somethings in
post-Brexit England who find themselves awash with a shimmering soundscape
that recalls Oshin era DIIV, Deerhunter's Microcastle, or even The Cure at
their most ambiently grandiose.
Bedroom is a concept album of sorts that switches moods with every key,
whether it be subtle instrumental opener "Momo" or its segue into the dizzy
heights of "Push/Pull." Sandwiched in the middle is the delirious couplet of
"Gush" and "Happy," which fall crushingly into "(The Silence)," another (this
time) bleak instrumental that acts as a buffer for what comes next.
"If...." picks up the pace once more before Bedroom's epic penultimate
moment, "Is That What You Wanted To Hear?," leads to one final crash and the
album grinds to a halt. Its creators' next chapter seems to be on a knife
edge, leaving all things sundry hanging in suspense.
This is a confident and assured debut that demands a sequel.
*
Once reviled, the shifting critical evaluation of shoegaze coincided with a
21st century resurgence, with a host of groups pushing back the boundaries,
producing a myriad of redefined dream pop formulas for a fresh era.
Leeds via Hull group bdrmm are part of this narrative, but in a very real
sense they're operating on their own. A flurry of early releases defined
their sound and approach, a kind of slender, spider-like lyrical introversion
set against aspects of Slowdive, or even The Cure's somnambulist elements.
Debut album 'Bedroom' however gives the band room to fully explore their
sonic palette, resulting in a project of real depth and no small degree of
emotional heft. Yes, those shoegaze elements are reinforced, but bdrmm add
crunching, post-rock leaning tributaries, at times recalling a kind of more
song-fixated Explosions In The Sky, yet with added reverb.
A record written and recorded against a backdrop of Brexit dystopia and the
emerging pandemic, 'Bedroom' has very good reason to delve inwards.
'(Un)happy' taps into an all-too-real sense of purring dissatisfaction, while
the looming parenthesis heralded by 'If...' not only nods towards the Lindsay
Anderson film, but our own sense of missed opportunity.
Fusing dappled guitar effects with elements of the Krautrock rhythmic
chassis, 'Bedroom' scorches to its finale with a formidable degree of crunch.
A broad yet precise listen, bdrmm's debut ranges from the snappy sub three
minute '(The Silence)' to the rather more luxuriant 'Forget The Credits', a
fine album finale that deals in broad brushstrokes and cinematic layering of
sound.
A heady, forward-thinking shoegaze distillation, 'Bedroom' is a vital listen,
with bdrmm allowing their early promise to fully develop. Much more than a
genre piece, it's a vital delve into the power of our communal isolation.
*
It would be easy to assume that this Hull-based band arrived fully-formed,
but their career has in fact been a slow burn that started in 2016 with a
demo that singer and guitarist Ryan Smith recorded in his bedroom - hence,
the name of what grew to become a full-band project. What they lack in
vowels, bdrmm make up for in sheer enthusiasm, displayed across several early
singles. Said enthusiasm got them signed to Sonic Cathedral, and exactly none
of those singles are anywhere to be found on their debut album.
They were collected late last year on the If Not, When? EP - along with the
new track 'Shame' that signposted the arrival of something greater - but that
6-track collection was a warm-up in comparison to their first full-length
offering. By wiping the slate clean for the album, bdrmm had a chance to
define themselves in earnest and not rely on earlier material as a crutch,
something borne out by the fact that their debut is technically self-titled
in a manner that says 'at least for now, this is who we are and what we sound
like'; and what they sound like should appeal to listeners who may be seeking
something with a little more lightness of touch than straight-ahead shoegaze.
The quintet - completed by Smith's brother Jordan on bass; Joe Vickers on
guitar; Danny Hull on synths; and Luke Irvin on drums - have honed a sound
that's as comfortable dipping into space rock and psychedelia as it is the
genre that their label specialises in. From the demo stage to the finished
product, the record was in development for four years, so no doubt, the band
have their minds set on the future; it certainly looks promising. A
multifaceted record that demands to be listened to from start to finish,
bdrmm's opening statement charts their growth from solo project to a
fully-fledged band on one of the year's most replayable debuts - that
enthusiasm of theirs is surely going to take them places.
*
There's no doubt there are elements of Slowdive, The Cure, Jesus and Mary
Chain, Ride all wrapped up in delicious bitter sweet melancholy of shoegaze
and wanderlust in their music says Soho radio DJ and Primal Scream bassist
Simone Marie...
On listening to Bdrmm's new record you could be forgiven for not realising
it's their debut album. It follows their 2019 EP 'If Not, When' which served
as a musical appetiser introducing us to their sonic imprint. The 4 track EP
was a window into their song writing style that includes the first track I
heard from them 'Kare' which really fired up enough interest for me to be
sold on this band. It also includes the tracks 'Question Mark" which frontman
and vocalist Ryan Smith claims was 'the first proper song I wrote'. It's
clear Bdrmm are onto a good thing.
They have already won the heart of guitar legend Andy Bell who has remixed
one of their tracks under the format of his electronic alter ego GLOK. High
praise indeed.
Hailing from Hull and describing themselves as 'five good boys' as is
described on their bandcamp page, you can't help but feel this is as much of
an introduction to their cheeky chappy banter as you may need. Yet as a polar
opposite to this spiky wit which runs through the offstage chat, their sound
as a band is like a dream of candy floss shimmering with Cocteau Twins, and
the more mellow dreamy side of Ride.
Bdrmm are a band who understand that less is more. Brothers Ryan and Jordan
Smith and are almost a modern day John and Paul of the Beatles with their
parallel humours running alongside each other. I feel they need their own
radio or tv show. There's no doubt there are elements of Slowdive, The Cure,
Jesus and Mary Chain, Ride all wrapped up in delicious bitter sweet
melancholy of shoegaze and wanderlust in their music. It's hard to establish
at what point the word shoegaze went from a way to categorise music in a
record shop to an actual audio description but it's a word that seems to fit
here.
Recorded and mixed by Alex Greaves (Working Men's club, Bo Ningen) and
mastered by Heba Kadry (Slowdive, Beach House) it feels all the right people
are involved in this record. A hefty yet considered 3 years in the making,
'Bedroom' is an escape to listen to and I can't help but feel that beyond the
dreamy melodies and top lines, the lyrical content hints that maybe it was
also an escape to record.
Snapped up by the ever tasteful hands of independent label Sonic Cathedral
(also home to Molly, Lorelle meets the obsolete and Echo Ladies) proving
label boss Nathaniel Cramp really does know how to chose brilliant bands to
nurture. Nat is from the school of thought that so many great independent
label owners share and that's the personal vested interest and passion for
the bands they bring into their musical family.
This is an album heavy on feeling while at the same time cathartic in its
debut. Bdrmm are accomplished, they have created a music identity, yet seem
as impressed with the result of this album as anyone listening to it.
Seeing them live, then meeting them you can understand the coherency of the
music. The guys are total jokers, they laugh at and with each other in an
ashtray of in jokes and jabs which ultimately secures the glue of what seems
to make them tick. They are heart warningly endearing and above all down to
earth .This is something that refreshingly comes across onstage. They really
all are about the music.
Every so often a new band comes along who you just resonate with and while it
seems they are ticking all the right boxes of childhood nostalgia they are
bringing it into the present and on to the future. As a debut album I'd have
t say its an absolute victory. I honestly don't hear any weak points. In the
absence of the touring and live shows that would go hand in hand with an
album release such as this, I would suggest you buy the hell out of every
album you love right now and like this one turn it up and let it fill the
air.
*
A DEMO recorded on a smartphone, and a paucity of vowels: from such humble
seeds Yorkshire's bdrmm have flowered into probably the most hotly tipped
band on the rejuvenated shoegaze scene.
So how did it all begin for bdrmm? Frontman Ryan Smith details the moment. "I
remember being in my bedroom before a 12-hour shift at the local pub I worked
at, and I was listening to Washed Out. Something inside resonated really
strongly. [I got out] my GarageBand phone-to-jack interface and wrote a demo.
"I was extremely proud of it, especially considering it was recorded on an
iPhone, so I stuck it on the BBC Introducing uploader. About a month later,
when I was in the kitchen at work, I got an email saying that it had been
played on Radio 1. It was then that I knew I needed to get a band together.
"The first person I asked was my younger brother, Jordan, due to our
disgustingly identical taste in music, and an old bandmate, Joe. They came
round to my house in Beverley and we set up our amps in the living room and
jammed. I still remember it so clearly: it was a beautiful day and there was
such a sense of optimism in the air."
After making waves on the self-released digital scene, along came the home of
all things swoonsome and gazey, Sonic Cathedral. An appearance on that
label's singles club run and a round-up EP later, and bdrmm are ready to
blood their first long-player, Bedroom, also through Sonic Cathedral.
... you won't be disappointed.
-=- SHGZ -=-
P.S.
** Thanks ***
*** BCC FNT IPC SSR ***
*** For Knowing Where The Music Is At ***
*** Props to CaHeSo, awesome Asian Indie/Shoegaze ***
*** And to FANG/HOUND for supporting all the Indie lovers out there ***
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* NuHS we miss you! *
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