Koyo Bloom: Distance
Self-released
Out Now
Koyo Bloom, the band formerly known as KOYO, follow up 2024’s incredible Onism album with Distance, the lead single and title track from their next long player – and it doesn’t disappoint.
Initially creating a sense of melancholia at the distance which has grown between two people physically, emotionally and temporally, and the implicit loss which goes with it, what follows suggests an overriding mood of optimism, a realisation that life goes on and things will turn out for the best – what the band describe as ‘a postcard to a past life, written from the road ahead.’
I got a new life, new car,
I met the girl sitting next to me,
The universe certainly ain’t shy,
Of imitating excellency.
This is five minutes of unadulterated pleasure with so much going on that every listen reveals new delights. The crisp intro immediately grabs the attention before singer Huw Robert Edwards delivers a gorgeous vocal with an ethereal delicacy which, if you can imagine it, puts one in mind of a prog Neil Young. Layth Ibrahim’s imaginative bass lines, Jacob Price’s dreamy electronic interjections, and the subtly energetic drumming of Tom Higham help create a divine, almost hypnotic background, and there’s a simple yet memorable and uplifting chorus to boot.
Koyo Bloom show a willingness to play around with a song’s structure, with what effectively sounds like a middle eight providing the final, typically enigmatic verse, before Huw plays us out with a soaring solo which, as ever, is entirely sympathetic to the vibe of the song rather than being merely for show. The icing on the cake is the production. Everything is there for a reason and in exactly the right place, all the elements combining to create a wonderfully engaging end product.
Koyo Bloom stressed with the release of Onism that they were returning to their hard-hitting roots, yet here they are with a wistfully atmospheric track which demonstrates the value of writing in /about the moment rather than simply sticking to an agenda. Distance is the rock version of ASMR, the phenomenon whereby certain sounds evoke an intensely pleasing ‘tingle’ sensation in the listener’s brain, as it paves the way for what promises to be another outstanding collection.
Koyo Bloom Links
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All words by Robin Boardman. More writing from Robin for Louder Than War can be found at his author’s archive.
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