When you first listen to Bleach Blood, there’s something irritatingly familiar about the frontman. Can’t remember why? cast your mind back to the time when The King Blues were still around, creating thought-provoking punk music to wrap your ears around. No, not Itch – rather, the frontman of this London lot is distinctly Jamie Jazz-shaped.
After the demise of The King Blues, which was a sad day for all, Jamie Jazz gathered some other like-minded musicians and set about creating Bleach Blood. And he created something vibrant, bold and colourful – it’s a dance-punk fuelled group, singing songs that’ll get you dancing in no time whatsoever with their glowing positivity. Already, they’ve proven to be a hit; their EP ‘Darling Don’t Dive’ was released to critical acclaim, and they played a five night residency at The Stillery in Camden, with support from Boy Jumps Ship, Ducking Punches, Jesus Fucking Christ, and more. And they’re now building on that with the release of their debut album ‘All the Sides Of a Circle’.
Title track ‘All the Sides Of a Circle’ is a short and sweet introduction, showing a mere glimpse of what the album is about and the journey that the band are about to embark on. And from the start, these guys know how to make a lasting impact with positive, thought-provoking lyrics that really speak to the fans on an emotional level – with ‘H.O.P.E’, the simple refrain of “We’ve got hope in our hearts” is effective and honest, reeling listeners in with punchy refrains that’ll bring them to sing loud and proud.
Single ‘London In the Rain’ is genre-bending; a beautiful blend of punk and pop, it doesn’t quite fit into any set boxes, but that’s more than okay. It’s laden with synths and guitars, and is a quite awe-inspiring track. Their hooks are bright and catchy, as demonstrated in the larger-than-life ‘East LDN Dance Party’. A fun and energetic track, it demonstrates why these guys shouldn’t be taken lightly. Jamie’s vocals are glorious – they’re strong, and simply sound huge, combing effortlessly with the adrenaline-fuelled riffs within this track.
The pop-infused ‘Darling Don’t Dive Without Me’ cranks things up a notch, with all the bleeps and whirrs of 70’s synth pop, while ‘Anything Anything’ is packed with plenty of dance beats, creating a colourful atmosphere. Ending with ‘Broken Glass’, which provides a right racket to boogie to. Bleach Blood round off their debut album with finesse and charm. It’s something completely different and new – they’ve provided a breath of much needed fresh air into an industry that can sometimes be a little bit stale.
JESS TAGLIANI