The new one from Max Bloom, frontman of Yuck, is pretty far from the sound of that band. Pedestrian, out now, is full of down-tempo stuff, material that's distinctly lo-fi but thoroughly complex. Call this chamber pop if you want, but at least listen to this Ultimate Blends label release with as much joy as I did.
The title cut starts this one off in a low key fashion, while "Palindromes" is catchy and brisk. Some of this sounds like any number of Damon Albarn-associated projects post-"Tender", while the peppy "All the Same" reminded me a tiny bit of bands like Gorky's Zygotic Mynci and Super Furry Animals. Still, it's a long way from Wales to London, and the English Bloom is more interested in keeping this less psychedelic and more straightforward.
"America", a real highlight here, is briskly catchy, while "Under Green Skies" is subdued and charming. These numbers and almost everything on Pedestrian carve out territory that's delightful, with nothing here being too wildly ambitious. Still, Max Bloom wisely gives each cut a nice hook atop a simple set of instrumental and production effects so that a listener can't help but be charmed as the modest gems parade forth.
More details on Max Bloom via the Max Bloom Facebook page.
[Photo: Max Bloom Facebook]