A supremely well-crafted EP, ‘SCARS’ marks our point of entry into Mike Bloom’s nuanced and heartwarming songwriting work, as he embraces his original solo project for the first time in years. We are grateful for him doing that; Bloom was obviously gatekeeping a large amount of songs in his hard drives (or songbook, for that matter), as he was busy helping the likes of Jenny Lewis, Julian Casablancas, and Richard Edwards in their musical endeavours. A talented producer, guitarist and musical director, Bloom has been a staple in the music industry for years.
Now, the Los Angeles-based creative has taken a break from such a burgeoning career, looking inward and expressing what we should probably call ‘unrestrained’ personal artistry. You see, ‘SCARS’ is a phenomenally good record, not just from a musicianship standpoint – Mike is obviously a great musician – but also from a songwriting one. Using his wholesome, magnetic and jagged vocals as a cathartic tool, Bloom delves into human behaviours and the intense push-and-pulls of emotions, simply describing the world as he knows it.
That’s enough for us; wrapped in acoustic flair, folk-like elegance and Americana melancholy, the EP unfurls a listening experience that’s sombre, yet warm and comfortable. More uplifting and playful tunes such as ‘Nice Knowing Me’ showcase Bloom’s ironic charge, a sign that not everything has to be taken dead seriously. ‘SCARS’ is a bit like that: a mixture of serious and not-so-serious songs, simply a mirror of what life often is. There’s more to come… stay tuned!
Recommended! Discover ‘SCARS’ on Spotify:
