Track Listing
All Night
Indigo
Counting Empties
Saving All Your Kindness
Everything At Once
Nothing Left to Lose
Never Coming Back
Smile For Me
Leave The Light On
Life Gets Better
(coda)
As the darkness shrouds and the depressive notions become debilitating, it’s difficult not to feel despondent and stuck in a loop of misery. This world has its flaws. There is no doubting that, and when there are cracks in the roads, waiting to be counted, you know you’re seeing decay first-hand.
Forming optimistic traits takes strength beyond the body too, and when you run out of energy, you know negativity has a sterner grip. South London band Bleach Lab meet the ghosts of the past and their ethereal sound inspires, but the lyrical strands they’ve produced often show vulnerability on a large scale, embracing the darker side. These words don’t derail the band’s immense talent as a collective, though, as they fit profoundly into the framework, clicking coherently.
The atmosphere pulses around these songs on the debut album Lost In A Rush Of Emptiness, pushing the band through the motions, directing them to their emotions, and making them fight for every moment of tenderness when everything seems to be sharp and unforgiving.
We all live in an unhinged world nowadays, on a problematic base, where love has lost its significance, and greed has pulverised the senses, pushing many to the brink. On this collection of songs, Bleach Lab convey through their anecdotes their own grievances about an ever-changing planet we’re ultimately destroying.
Talent soars here, and the band which has the potential to build bundles of dreams, has created such a visceral album, with subtle tones and beats, while sticking to a soft, often haunting sonic influence. Many acts in the scene should listen to this tender, beautifully crafted compendium, as it’s like an epic film score unravelling the truth.
Lead singer Jenna Kyle has an angelic voice fit for the ages, enabling the listener to fall deeply into her tone. She sings eagerly, matching the music, and absorbing every momentous chime. She is gifted as is the band and they play these songs decisively, softly, while letting the words flow and the music satisfy.
When dissecting an album, it’s gratifying when the story flows seamlessly. On this record, the fables tell us that the band is hurting, and their minds aren’t running smoothly. This all makes for a compelling route into their worlds, though it can be unpretty.
There are 11 songs on this expansive LP, and they all interweave to tell us an unforgettable story. ‘All Night’ begins the record with soft touches and a voice that can’t be ignored. The night serves up frozen hope, a cold, gloomy evening, and Kyle sings elegantly as the guitars become bases for unnerving, biting, words:
Circling ’round I wanna take you down Wanna be yours tonight, babe One last time Tell me everything will be fine I’II be yours, you know it feels right
It seems a lover is appearing in the flickering light, seduced and ready to be taken through a sexual fantasy. The song opens the record, and it’s a good, honest starting point.
‘Counting Empties’ tracks love again, though this song has a darker underbelly, producing a solemn story. Those instrumentals give the track a brilliant backbeat.
Hide emotions deep beneath the ground The floorboards creak, I hear a sobbin’ sound You kept me up so late The touch of your hands made my skin vibrate
Kyle balances her emotions here and doesn’t fully cascade into them, but she’s beginning to tear up. The wordplay here shows the band’s deft touch.
‘Never Coming Back’ truly delivers a scene where love has no significance. Kyle sings amidst the powerful instrumentals, and she begins to lose the will and the energy.
Cut, hurt and bruised, oh baby, I feel so used I never wanna go back to the way things were ’cause I always lose You hit me like a car crash burning through the sky It only took one moment, baby, you were gone in the blink of an eye Baby, you were gone in the blink of an eye Baby, you were gone
These are the most revealing lyrics on the album. The band has commanded the scene well here, opting for words that provoke responses. It’s a track bridging the gap between love and excruciating pain. It also offers a glimpse into the band’s mindset.
Lost In A Rush Of Emptiness really is a tour de force for the underground. And Bleach Lab has all the tools to elevate beyond small rooms, as their music has the right tones and stories, which, in truth, are better than what most established bands have put out this year. The sky is the limit for this forward-thinking outfit.
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Verdict - 9/10
9/10