REVIEW: Bleach Blonde – ‘Starving Artist’

September 30th, 2013

Kriston McConnell

Artist: Bleach Blonde
Album: Starving Artist
Genre: Alternative Rock
Label: Rise Records

Does anyone else remember Myspace? Did you ever search the seemingly endless pages of bands and musicians? I was one of those teenagers, always searching for new artists to check out. There are just a few bands that I will forever associate with that social media outlet, and one of them is Drop Dead, Gorgeous. They were one of the first metalcore groups I ever got into. My friends and I listened to those albums hundreds of times.

When I heard ex-Drop Dead, Gorgeous members Danny Stillman (vocals) and Danny Cooper (drums) would be getting together with some other guys to start Bleach Blonde I was beyond excited. I didn’t know what to expect from them musically though, and that’s when I heard their first single, “Sea Mint Pastel.” It was definitely not what I expected. Was it bad though? No way. Danny’s voice is unique, and even though he’s no longer screaming you can still tell it’s the same guy. Shortly after, the group announced their debut full length with Rise Records, which is Starving Artist.

I’ve probably listened to “Miss Messenger” twice as much or even three times more than the rest of the tracks on the album. It’s easy to say this is my favorite song, and it’s easily one of the best ones on the whole album. It’s catchy, and nostalgic. Not nostalgic in that you’ve heard it before, but nostalgic as it will take you back to another time in your life. If you picked one song to check out to decide if you want their album, then is should be this one.

“Is That What You Want?” is the second track on the album. This is another high energy song that’s incredibly catchy. I’ve had the main chorus stuck in my head all week. The song reminds me of the music I listened to in high school, and I imagine anyone who’s in their early to mid twenties will also feel a little bit of nostalgia when listening to this album. “Pillow Talk” is the third track, and will likely take you down memory lane as well.

The album slows things down on the song “The Headlines,” and it doesn’t really speed back up much throughout the rest of the album. “Pen And Paper” has Danny singing along with an electric guitar, nothing else. While it’s not one of my favorite songs, it’s impressive to hear him successfully sing along with an electric guitar and no other instruments. The album ends with “Crystal Clear,” which is mostly an acoustic track. It’s not my favorite, and I generally am not a fan of bands ending their albums with acoustic or “light” tracks, which I’ve stated on previous reviews. I think they should have made this the second to last song, and then put something with a punch to wrap things up.

While the first half of the album is great, it dips off at the end and the energy doesn’t carry through. If there were a couple more tracks and the slower ones were peppered through the album instead of just tacked on at the end I think this would be a stronger release. It’s still an awesome release, and I’m happy to see Rise Records straying away from the stereotypical post hardcore bands they’re famous for. This band has a lot of talent, and show in such a short release that they have a solid range and are capable of executing different styles of music.

I recommend picking up this album. While you’re at it, you should also grab their digital EP released before the album as it has three additional tracks on it. I’m not sure about you, but I hope that we get to see a lot more of Bleach Blonde in the upcoming years.

SCORE: 8.5/10
Review written by Kriston McConnell