Boy Bleach releases promising new EP "Beautiful Blue"
On Friday, November 22nd, Boy Bleach released their highly anticipated EP called "Beautiful Blue". Hailing from East London, the band features frontman Louis & his brother Jimmy, the second brother duo James & Nick, and their friend JJ on the drums. Drawing on their diverse backgrounds, including working-class and immigrant roots, the music is shaped by their candid narratives. Their music frequently addresses societal issues such as economic inequality, political disillusionment, or toxic gender roles, making them stand out as a voice for contemporary struggles and insecurities, deeply relatable for young adults, not only in the UK but worldwide.
With their alternative looks and the band's honest, playful, edgy sound, the new EP stays true to their musical roots but delivers a convincing elevation of their sound and lyricism in the new Release. "Beautiful Blue" has a catchy brit-rock sound that leaves a listener wanting to listen to it all over again. Take a listen to "Beautiful Blue", while reading.
The EP starts out with the song "Blood Honey", which explores the themes of institutional corruption, the economic divide, the illusion of upward mobility, and the pressures to stay silent about those issues. The societal illusion is especially seeable in clever metaphors like "To build a kingdom in a council house. New gold, old crown". Not only did the clever lyricism make it fun to listen to, but especially the matching rock sound that is infused with heavy beats.
Next up is one of my favorites, the prior released title "Suncream". I listened to it first while I was walking to work. The song gives up a vibrant feeling of summer yet blends the groovy alternative vibes with sharp commentary on personal struggles, escapism and the cycle of self-sabotage. It fits with the usual vibe of Boy Bleach, a cool, upbeat sound with reflective lyricism. The electric background beat is catchy and with vocal highlights where the frontman uses different vocal levels, repetition and prolonging of the words ("its a") to match the high-energy of the beat. The song uses playful imagery, like in the chorus "Why don’t you put your sun cream on?", can be seen as a metaphor for overexposure to life's harsh and not changing realities and the consequences of poor preparation. As a young adult, the song and theme feel relatable and real. It's catchy, thoughtful, and resonates with anyone seeking to escape life's long days - making it accessible to a wide audience.
Right from the first listen "If You Want To" sounds like a big Fuck you to all the haters. With a fast pasted guitar and hard drums the punk rock vibes are especially present in this song. It is a perfectly fitting and highly energetic sound that fits with the overall theme of the song. The repeated vocal phrases “Kiss who you want to / Love who you want to / say what you want to (...)” emphasize themes of personal freedom and breaking free from social constrains or old norms. Vocal backing of the "who you want to" part and a backing "nanana" sound acts as a amplification of the issues. The overall defiant tone is underlined with endlines like “We’re not gonna listen anyway”, showcasing the rejection of societal norms and expectations. A song highly needed in a time of the rolling rightwing waves all over the world.
The song "Daylight Robbery" (Remastered)" portrays the powerful frustration of a generation struggling with their home country's unstable political and societal landscape.The title itself hints at these themes, while the lyrics vividly convey the frustration of elites in power, making it unmistakable to the listener. It gives a rebellious tone in sound and lyrics, especially for listeners who appreciate a musical rawness mixed with a sharp wit towards society. Rhythmically, I especially enjoyed the bridge where frontman Louis sings, "Hi, I’m a politician and I’m addicted to making a difference. (...)". The electric guitar sound of this pre-chorus fits perfectly with his voice. Overall a song that one wants to listen to more often.
The freshly released song "Jack the Lad" can convice with its highly catching beat and vocal style change. The song starts out with a highpitched guitar mixed with a hard and pulsevating drumming part, this fits perfectly with the monotone vocal part of the lead singer in the first verse. There its a repetition of the same beat and vocal style white he sings "You love the mess, You love the sex, You love him ripping off your dress (...)". These parts makes the song one of my favorites of the whole EP. The song portrays a toxic love in a unrecipocated relationship. it not only showcases the blindness and selfdestruction in this toxic relationship, but also the bitter awareness of the abuse where she desperately clings to whatever she can get even if its just the physical part of it. The theme comes across in the lyrics, but also in the beat. In the pre-chorus these later themes are viewable: (...) You’re second best but too in love to second guess. You’re loneliest when you’re aware he doesn’t care. You want him there". With its vocal change in the chorus and the upkeep of the energetic drumming the sound stands perfectly in comparison of the first part - a cool sound through and through. This song has the potential to quickly become a fan favorite.
The last song of the EP brings the listener back to the band's home country, "England". Musically and lyrically, the song paints a vivid picture of a society caught between the same old 'tradition' and frustration. Mixed with sound characteristics of a blend of punk and alternative music "England" feels addicting. Repetetive Chorus "This is the future, No need to panic. Let's fucking have it. Over and over and over again. Welcome to England (...)" keeps stuck in ones head. Beatwise, I highly enjoyed the guitar and drum parts all over the piece, the electric guitar sounds captured the songs energetic and almost agressive feel perfectly during the chorus part. However, which part excited me the most was the vocal reverb/prolonging of the pre-chorus “We don’t do it for the money. No, we just do it for the drugs”. The song is satirical and perfectly portrays the monotony and contradictions of England’s 'normal' daily life and working-class culture.
The overall EP is authentic, its electrizising guitar parts and the vocals kick all the right places. Boy Bleach's ability to tackle important socio-critical themes with witty system critical lyrics, a sense of humor and a fresh alternative rock-punk sound, makes this EP stand out for those navigating the pressures of life and changing political landscapes, but also for lovers of a fresh twist in the genre. It makes it a compilation of energy-rich, fun but powerful indie-rock anthems for contemporary struggles within the middle class society. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to every song, and even after repeatedly listening its still catching and continues to deliver, I can say don't miss out on this EP !
If you liked the EP as much as I did, be quick and catch Boy Bleach in their last show this year!
03. December in Prague (Rock Cafe)
PHOTOS BY: NETTWERK MUSIC GROUP / JAY FISCHER
REVIEW BY
Maxine
I love to capture little moments in busy streets, but for our magazine, I mostly take editorial, portraits and concerts shots. You can sometime find me reviewing concerts or talking about all and everything during a hot chocolate in interviews with our guests.
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