Single Review: Bloomshock - "Best Left Unsaid"

Bloomshock - Best Left Unsaid
(Self-Released 2015)

Bloomshock is one of the hidden gems I'll dig up unexpectedly on a late-night Bandcamp excavation - the sort of discovery that keeps me coming back to the site in pursuit of home-recorded treasure. The New Jerseyan solo project has hammered out an amazing total of sixty-four releases over the past year and a half,  working at a dizzying rate that even eclipses that of lo-fi workhorses Guided By Voices, who just happen to be a major influence on his work. Perhaps lost in an endless sea of grunge-tinged, fuzzed-out bands that look to 90s DIY as a major influence, Bloomshock is a criminally underlooked project that is easily the most accurate impression that period of music, borrowing Pavement's penchant for droney rhythm guitar, Dinosaur Jr's fuzz fetish and the unmistakeable vocal delivery of GBV's Robert Pollard. "Best Left Unsaid" is the best installment in the project's deep singles discography, its title track a ramshackle tune that floats on reverb-soaked chords and infectiously jaunty bass. The b-side pays tribute to Bloomshock's predecessors, including a fleshed out re-imagining of a Guided By Voices demo (an improvement over the original, in my opinion!) and a twangy Sentridoh cover. If you dig this single, check out the solo act's latest LP, Amherst.

Single Review: Bloomshock - "Engtheogen"

Bloomshock - Entheogen

(Self-Released 2014)

Since late 2013, New Jersey based one-man-band Bloomshock has published a staggering total of 52 releases, ten of them full-length albums. Out of all current acts emulating the shambolic sound of early 90’s DIY, Bloomshock’s impression is easily the most accurate, employing a blunt, fuzzy guitar tone and an appreciation for early rock ‘n roll riffage to drive his prolific output. Entheogen is the best of his recent output of singles, its title track a twangy, infectious tune that recalls the dulcet pop energy of early twee. Imagine some c86 shimmer blended into Sebadoh's lo-fi snarl. It’s accompanied by two b-sides: a surfy instrumental jam that channels Dinosaur Jr’s “The Lung” and a cover of barlow*’s fuzz-gaze hit “In The Air”. Check it out below.