Belongs in an Indie Film

Bleachers’ sophomore album, Gone Now, offers a modern take on the classic, 1980s, romantic comedy soundtrack aesthetic of which everyone is so fond. Throughout the LP, one can identify obvious influences from iconic artists — such as David Bowie.

The album starts with an interesting song titled “Dream of Mickey Mantle,” which offers a variety of tempo changes and sound layers. The track is a fun way to kick off the album and is guaranteed to keep the listener’s attention for its duration. The following track, “Goodmorning,” showcases Jack Antonoff’s extremely unique vocal delivery. And along with these impressive vocals comes a beautiful piano that really ties the song together.

One of the strongest tracks on the album is “Don’t Take the Money.” It offers a strong chorus that makes use of an interesting vocal effect, making for one of the catchiest moments on the album. The track feels like it belongs in an indie film during a scene depicting a high school dance of some sorts.

Bleachers take a clever approach later in the album on the song “Goodbye,” which boasts an eerily similar refrain to that of “Goodmorning” except that everyone in the song is now being told “goodbye” (rather than “goodmorning”). This gives a quirky twist to the album, providing listeners with a little gem of intrigue.

One other song that sticks out is “Nothing Is U,” which offers a slower vibe with a pretty piano backing the vocals. It is a refreshing track that breaks away from the common theme of upbeat, 1980s-style music.

Gone Now is an impressive follow-up to Bleachers’ debut album (released in 2014). It is also one of the more interesting pop albums of 2017 thus far and is sure to keep listeners anticipating any future releases from the band.