by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

Ben Böhmer’s first album in three years came after an intense period of touring, playing more than 200 shows in 2022. The title, Bloom, reflects the time he spent reconnecting with making music, as he put it in a social media post, “a journey through change, self-discovery, and finding the right moment to ‘bloom’.”

His experiences are reflected in the lyrics, with the lead single Best Life finding a reflection from guest vocalist JONAH that ‘life is short and fast’. The guest roster also includes Lykke Li, Oh Wonder, Enfant Sauvage (of French duo The Blaze), Malou, Erin LeCount and Max Milner.

What’s the music like?

Slick, melodic and very listenable. Böhmer brings studio polish and class to his productions, which have elements of pop, trance and house but crucially make an emotional connection to the listener.

He is a flexible writer, too, capable of writing a floor filling anthem and following it with a down tempo treasure, as he does here. Martin is a great way to start, a piano-led beauty taking its inspiration from the piano of Martin Kohlstedt, whose intimate but bright loop powers the track.

The vocalists acquit themselves well – Lykke Li on the smoky Hiding, Malou on Beautiful, with its rolling bass, and on the slower side of things Erin LeCount’s Faithless is excellent, as is the closing instrumental Blossoms. Rust is coolly delivered, while arguably the biggest rush comes from Evermore, a brilliant song taken to the next level by Enfant Sauvage. Böhmer creates a heat-soaked atmosphere, encapsulated by Oh Wonder’s dreamy contribution The Sun.

Does it all work?

Yes. Böhmer writes fluently and the album is well structured, responding well to repeated listening.

Is it recommended?

It is. Bloom is a real pick-me-up, a force for good in the face of tough times.

Listen & Buy

Published post no.2,329 – Saturday 12 October 2024