Milo Bloom showcases the range and scope of his distinctive indie pop sound on his debut EP Bloom County
Set in the titular fictional town of Bloom County, Milo Bloom‘s debut EP is an engrossing and varied collection of indie pop releases that showcase the breadth and ambition of the artist’s sound and style, making a real statement as to his appeal and allure as a rising talent.
Following the brief introduction of ‘Welcome To Bloom County’, things really kick into gear with ‘Mona Lisa’, an energetic track that was the only single released prior to the EP itself. The instrumentation here feels varied and packed full of vibrancy and life, while there is an unpolished rawness to some factors like the sound of the drums that just adds to the hard-hitting nature of the track and how impactful it feels. Impossibly catchy and fun while having a dynamic and almost even rock-edged appeal in some of its heavier moments, the track is the perfect showcase of everything that makes Milo’s sound feel so ambitious and thoughtful.
Acoustic guitars and strings saturate ‘Telephones’, a track that signals a stark change of pace as things feel a little bit more stripped-back and sentimental. There is a really unique feel to this track, with its jittery tempo and unconventional rhythms creating a sense of urgency as Milo sings about things like pride, generational shifts, and the monotony of day to day life in a way that feels both inspired and thoughtful in its delivery.
The soft and dreamy ‘Memory Lane’ again has a sentimental and moving feel to it, with themes like romance and longing tugging at your heartstrings and making for a really poignant listening experience. Something that really stands out throughout the collection of tracks is how Milo’s lyric writing style feels both abstract and unique but also really personal and easy to digest, creating vivid images of feelings like loneliness and love but doing so with his own distinctive vernacular that feels entirely his own stylistically. The smoothness of this sound and the intimacy of the vocals and performances makes for a resonating and special journey.
The more spaced out and psychedelic feel of ‘Mickey’ is a track that has this woozy, laid-back feel that evokes the vibes of artists like Tame Impala or Hard Life, effortlessly cool in the way that it has been put together but containing a lot of heartfelt emotion and soft power within the vocals and lyrics. Once the synths and the beats properly kick in, it makes for a transcendent listening experience that feels almost hypnotising to listen to, with its atmospheric glow continuing to escalate and evolve.
The folk-inspired ‘See The Years’ brings us back down to earth, with its more grounded lyrical content and instrumentation providing a sharp contrast to the previous track’s otherworldly allure. The immersive nature of the picked guitars here and the warm and comforting nature of the lyrics makes for a track that feels cosy and authentic throughout here, like a warm blanket that feels safe and comforting following some of the more out there and daring moments that have come before it.
As it ‘Exiting Bloom Country’ provides a brief outro to the album, it really feels like the artist has covered a lot of territory across the six full length tracks on this release, across the broad spectrum of pop, without anything ever really feeling jarring or out of place. There is a uniqueness and an allure to Milo Bloom’s personality and his writing that ties everything together, no matter how wide the scope of his sound gets, and that keeps everything feeling cohesive and fresh throughout.
