The Great Bloomers: The Great Bloomers

The Great Bloomers
The Great Bloomers
Reel Cod
2008-05-27

Toronto’s The Great Bloomers seamlessly blend their music’s influences together in true roots fashion. Without feeling disconnected, these songs shift from pop and country to dirty and progressive. The Great Bloomers manage to create something whole and lasting. Their light-hearted and down-to-earth approach to their music proves that they are not just another pretentious band mixing genres. The first track of the Great Bloomers EP (“Catching Up”) feels like a laid-back, breezy alt-country tune in the summertime before infusing tambourine and Sonic Youth-like feedback into the mix. Now the Great Bloomers expose the grittier but lackadaisical parts of the summer, like “We’ll get stoned and we’ll talk about the simple things” and “We’ve got time and plenty of it”. Dissonant guitars seem to be playing a different song entirely as the catchy refrain churns on. A sunny California-soaked “Black Rising Fire” begins next before emerging into the Western country territory replete with cowboy whistle. “Market of the Night” closes the disc with a surf power-pop introduction and shoegaze finish. Distorted guitars crunch down on rolling drums and call-and-response vocals to create a raucous combination that’s all their own.

RATING 6 / 10