London duo atmos bloom distinguish themselves with an adeptness at dream-pop. There are a lot -- too many? -- bands doing this sort of thing now, but Tilda Gratton and Curtis Paterson as atmos bloom manage to inject a robust melodicism into this form. That's enough to make their new record, Everythingness, a memorable listen.
Favoring an approach like Slowdive in the Nineties, atmos bloom center the tracks around the breathy vocals from Tilda Gratton. Tracks like "Thorns" and "Closer" lean into an approach that's not as obfuscated as the best Cocteau Twins stuff, nor as rock-oriented as the best Lush material. What's here on Everythingness is light, but with a lot of pep to it. "It's Enough", for example, opens on a New Order-y bass before opening up into shimmering synths and precise guitar effects. It's dream pop but it's also a little New Wave, you know? "Waiting", one of the best numbers here, finds amtos bloom finally finding escape velocity.
If you're a fan of bands like Seablite or Blush you'll likely find things to love on Everythingness. This duo manage to keep things a little light, but atmos bloom understand how to do this sort of modern dream pop, and the results are pleasant enough to make this a recommended record this week.
Everythingness by atmos bloom is out this week. Details below.
[Photo: Kyoka Seguchi]