Terribly Yours
A Bloom Beyond
(S/S Friends)
Indie pop has become quite a bit homogenized lately, especially now that chillwave, synthpop, and psychedelic rock. Basically, every band sounds like MGMT, Foster the People, Tame Impala, and/or Passion Pit. Everyone is vaguely electronic, probably on drugs, and definitely chill/fun. It’s not an altogether awful place to be, as those are some fun bands, but the fact that there’s little to nothing “indie” about indie pop is a little amusing. Terribly Yours, the latest project from Brooklyn’s Sean Bones, doesn’t necessarily stray away from the mold, but his ability to paint a beautiful picture while coloring within the lines is mighty impressive.
This is undeniably a synthpop record, but the synth work rarely feels like it’s over the top, except for the joyously bright and over the top “See Through the Dark”. Instead, Bones prefers to utilize a hazy atmosphere to lay his soul bare. It’s a remarkably honest record, and it never feels tacky or fake. Bones labels his sound “new new wave” which mostly works, though this is a decidedly modern sounding record, with hints of the 80s and 90s sprinkled in. Fittingly, the atmosphere makes the record feel subdued for the majority of its runtime, and while that allows the songs to flow to the background, that’s hard to avoid when creating surreal music. A Bloom Beyond is a transformative experience, allowing listeners to escape the worries of the real world, even if for a short time. Few songs really stand out, but if that’s the biggest complaint of this otherwise consistently solid record, then that’s perfectly fine.
