Bleachers//Gone Now - Album Review

*album contains profanity and explicit content*

Album available on Apple music, Spotify and YouTube.

Rating: 4.5/5

(something to write home about)

So, we've heard of Jack Antonoff right? The New Jersey born genius behind musical projects such as Steel Train, Fun. Bleachers, and collaborations with Sara Bareilles, Taylor Swift, Charli XCX, and now Lorde. Fresh from winning three Grammy awards for his song writing and production and being linked with Lena Dunham (from the US show Girls), Jack is back with the second album from his solo project; indie pop band - Bleachers.

The name is nostalgic and also reminiscent of American culture and linked to things like high school and football (rugby) matches, however the themes are always very universal and relatable. Every song could be pinned behind a scene from a John Hughes film. Themes such as anxiety, depression, bereavement, social issues and of course love and heartbreak. The previous album Strange Desire focused on Jack's personal issues from the death of his sister, with the battle of his mental health issues such as depression and panic attacks, and produced what is arguably one of his best written and most popular song; I Wanna Get Better. If you haven't heard it please do, with lyrics such as "While my friends were getting high and chasing girls down parkway lines" and "I didn't know I was broken until I wanted to change" - it's hard not to feel a part of you agree with his layered vocal.

However, let's get on with the new album shall we? Gone Now, runs at about forty minutes and has 12 tracks - all of which were written by Jack with little or no help. The album cover is hauntingly beautiful and the name of the album was drawn from Jack's own theory of dying and what life would be like without him and what he would look like if he was "gone now".

Pretty deep, huh?

At  first listen I loved the album. That's hard for me, as new music is usually generic, repetitive or just unimaginative. Not this; it has uniqueness stamped all through it. I mean, it was definitely a lot more refined and better written and executed than it's freshman release. It still has tones of Jack's layered vocal and hints of synth pop and electronic influences and dark lyrics, running alongside melodic beats - but it's more than that. It feels bigger than that. It feels more cohesive and feels more like a body of work, rather than the scattered song selection on the first album.

The song that really hit me hard and tore me up was Everybody Lost Somebody. I mean; wow. Just, freakin' wow. It was released as the third single from the album prior to the album release and it's still my favourite, even now. I remember listening to it through earphones on Spotify when I was in bed and had a free five minutes after a busy day. It was like an awakening or some kind of borderline spiritual experience - I kid you not. The drums, the lyrics, the saxophone, the talking at the start, the melody combined was so powerful and emotional. It reminded me of the finale song on the set list for a tour or a festival when the confetti dances over the crowd and the sun sets into a burning orange. It's honestly so raw, real, and beautiful. The message is always nostalgic and honest and I think that helps Bleachers music so much, as opposed to the bands content being focused on themes such as money or love or parties in clubs.

The album itself takes time and effort to listen to. You have to truly unpack it, and not just take the anthemic sound and expect to understand what is going on. It's truly power pop but with a grassroots feel behind it, as it's easy to forget it was made in studios and for a huge label - but feels as though it was written in a bedroom in New Jersey- whilst looking out of the window and dreaming.

Regardless of who Jack collaborates with next or if Fun. decided to reunite or if he goes on another three year hiatus - we all know that Jack will always save his best work for Bleachers.

Favourite songs: Everybody Lost Somebody, Don't Take The Money, Dream of Mickey Mantle, Good Morning