EP Review: Bleach Lab - 'Close To The Flame'
Dreamy shoe-gaze four-piece tackle hardships with their upcoming fourth EP.
No band have quite mastered the craft of dreamily looking out of rain-speckled windows quite like Bleach Lab. Formed in Buckinghamshire and crafted in the capital, the lush indie-rock four-piece of Louis Takooree (guitarist), Jenna Kyle (singer), Josh Longman (bassist) and Kieran Weston (drummer) are sensing a new chapter.
The EP of 'Close to the Flame' will be the first body of work the band have shared since their critically acclaimed debut album, 'Lost in a Rush of Emptiness,' which, due to its gentle brandishing throughout, has spring-boarded the band to greater heights. Featuring the devastatingly powerful lead single of "Counting Empties," and rich number, "Nothing Left to Lose" the dream-pop soundscapes were an affirmation that this exciting prospect were here to stay.
Now amongst the delights of extreme expectation, comes more shoegaze goodness. Spearheaded by front-woman Jenna Kyle's sumptuous vocals and Wates' delicate string canoodling, Bleach Lab draw in a new era of shoegaze indie-rock excellence.
Start-up of Drown recalls elements of self-doubt among a fast backdrop. Feels Something is a luxurious barefoot escape down the beach while In Your Arms plays as the slow and sombre strain before we're swooned in the EP's strongest strand on here.
A poetic display of monumental heartbreak on the big screen, the body of work captures the real messy display of trying to hold onto a love that is forever undeserving. This is best served up on the self-titled woozy romantic of , "Close to the Flame," as Jenna remarks: "I was heavily inspired by bands like slowdive and my bloody valentine when writing the lyrics and melody for Close To The Flame. I wanted it to feel like the end scene of a coming of age romance film, when they’re leaving everything they know in the middle of the night. It’s about an all consuming relationship, where you’re so obsessed with someone you almost want to merge into one and become them."
The EP starts in a vocal perfection by Jenna with If I Could Be Anything, a sonically stirring moment of romantic electronica, which will be forever pinned as a moment in which Bleach Lab are expanding their design - with even better results than before.
Not only does it bring in a beginning for the band but also a shift in dynamism as a group: this also happens to be Bleach Lab's first self-produced project. Further surmounting the bands' ability to explore new ventures, it also captures a greater personal depth to the sound itself, with the band having a direct hand in it from the very first brainstorming idea drawn up to the last layered sound recorded.
Following on from the EP release this Summer, Bleach Lab will embark on a UK tour in November this year. The band will be playing seven dates in total, beginning in Bristol's Exchange on the 12th before finishing with a headline show on the 19th at Bush Hall in London. Located in the heart of Shepherd's Bush, the 400-cap venue will play host to the bands' celebration of where they've been - and where they're going as one of the UK's most exciting bands.
Words by Alex Curle
