In the midst of a flood of emo bands that seem increasingly unstoppable lately, there is a name that slips and is not infrequently considered inferior when we compare it with names like The Hotelier or a veteran name like Saosin. Whereas Moose Blood is the UK answer to the development of emo music in the US which in recent years is very intense birth of new names. So it is not something that is overwhelming when we consider Moose Blood as the greatest representation of emo revival in the UK.
Joining Hopeless Records, Moose Blood certainly understands that one of the best strategies to master the United States market is to join one of the giant labels in the country. After all this is a label that carries the name of All Time Low, We Are The In Crowd, until The Wonder Years dominated sidestream music a few years ago. So this jump should be profitable for the band that is praised for successfully highlighting the pop side of emo pretty pretty on their debut album I'll Keep You In Mind, From Time To Time.
Just a moment we can find out that they are quite serious in preparing for their second album. Not only the musicality that they polish, ranging from gimmick and aesthetics get attention from them. They like to shout that we do not have to deny that emo has a feminine side, their shouts are not without residue, the earliest step is to imitate their compatriots, The 1975 in pink accents. This aesthetic change that ultimately underlies my suspicion that their second album, Blush will be very pop-ish. So it all makes sense when they join Hopeless, is not Hopeless Records the most prominent label for glorifying pop rock in their roster?
When compared to their debut, I'll Keep You In Mind, From Time To Time immediate changes can be felt once the opening track enters our auditory space. Moose Blood immediately step on the gas with a catchy song that can be considered catchy, even too catchy so not a mistake when you identify Moose Blood as a pop rock band. There is one that is so interesting here, the sound on this album will feel familiar if you fans of alternative music in the early 2000s. Far from being over produced and too polished like the horrible State Champs' second album. Is not this a good sign?
The material in the Blush album is very easy listening, some songs will be recorded instantly in our memory. For example, take the chorus of "Knuckles", this song has a very simple structure and repeatedly used but when we start talking about chorus of course we will agree that chorus in this song is quite catchy although counted a bit odd, awkwardly catchy may be the right name . So that created an album that is designed in such a way as to give a brief impression and fun.
Increasingly deepening this album, we will also increasingly realize that this album is really much more pop-ish than their debut album. In comparison, Eddy Brewerton's vocals on this album sounded more calm, more controlled but unfortunately slightly flatter. Some parts actually sound meaningless at all, like in the song "Sulk" where Eddy tries to do the appreciation that unfortunately just seemed anti-climax. To be honest lyrics in this song is also a bit cringey, maybe that's the reason that makes Eddy like reluctant in singing this song.
Speaking of the lyrics and themes in this album as a whole, I just realized that there is actually a serious story to tell. Like the song "Sulk" which tells about Eddy's relationship with his mother. It's just that a theme that is so important as it just seems to be done with perfunctory, the result of an empty lyrics that reduce the value of this album as a whole. Fortunately they did not repeat such frivolity in the song "Spring" which tells of the death of the father of Mark Osborne (guitar), thank goodness. But beyond that, it seems we need to forgive them because their age is fairly young. Like a Jesse Lacey who flourished from the unstable boy in Your Favorite Weapon being a poet at The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, we also expect Eddy Brewerton to reach his potential sometime because not everyone is born Christian Holden.
After listening to this album in full, I realized that the second part of the album is much more interesting than their first part. When we reach the last three songs, we will also realize that the backbone of this album is the songs "Shimmer", "Spring", and "Freckle". All three songs represent Moose Blood in its entirety and sound like Moose Blood that we expect.
Apart from the catchy album material, this album is more worth mentioning as a single collection than a cohesive album. Some materials are also fairly uninspired, relying on repetitive, generic and formulative patterns. At a glance Moose Blood sounds too safe play here, so when compared to their debut, it is just like a decadence.
Not bad indeed, proved the aesthetic changes that they show to be more romantic can be practically successful. So in the next 10 years, maybe in this way we finally identify Moose Blood. Productionally, this album is also very solid, I personally really liked the tone of the guitar and also the bass that makes this album sound crunchy even though some of the stuffing is actually quite cheesy.
If you want an album with songs that are light and radio friendly, this is an album you should listen to. But if your idea of an album should be a deep story telling and also flowing emotion, I think this album is not worth mentioning so.