BLEEKER – ALBUM REVIEW

Bleeker – Erase You (Five Seven Music) 
Bleeker - Erase You


Release Date: Out Now

I’ve been waiting for what feels like an age for Canadian trio Bleeker to release this album and the anticipation has been making me crazy. Luckily, debut LP ‘Where’s Your Money’ hits hard and true from the get-go so all that waiting was worthwhile. ‘Highway’ kicks things off with huge rock chops but also the pop sensibilities of a chart topping hit as the guitars bounce, the drums ping and those vocals swagger and swoon just enough to make you want to break in to a carefully choreographed dance routine. The swaggering continues on ‘Free’ as they sing of the freedom of breaking away from that relationship that drags you down – this is the tune to walk out of your shitty, dead end office job to while you flip over the in-trays and smash the computers.

There’s a theme of escapism and of breaking free on this album and ‘Getting Out’ is another example of this as those classic rock riffs kick hard and Bleeker channel Reef and Jet in all their pomp and posturing. Title track ‘Erase You’ takes things to a harder, more 70s place as the influences of metal, prog and rock hit you square in the face and suddenly you want to be right in the middle of that sweaty mosh pit, swaying with the masses, part of something bigger and better than you could ever be on your own. The guitar work is excellent and that voice just rasps and roars so a bill with Wolfmother and the Foo Fighters would be entirely natural. ‘I’m Not Laughing Now’ the band take a more indie-pop ballad approach which is a fine song but I came here to rock so I’m pleased when ‘Still Got Love’ kicks in with a grinding, hypnotic circular riff that is perfect driving music and a real head bobber.

Bleeker - Sexy beasts
There’s an element of surprise when the next track turns out to be a punked up garage version of Elvis Costello’s ‘Radio Radio’ but it still sounds so fresh and relevant that it kinda works. Scratch that, it totally works. And then, well then it’s time to rock. ‘Where’s Your Money’ combines the campness of the Darkness with the chug of ACDC and it completely works so just strap it on rock out with your cock out (or other genitals, this music does not discriminate). ‘Emergency’ is slick indie-rock with a stop start rhythm and some cave singing while ‘Close My Eyes’ is a relatively run of the mill rock ballad with a piano riff and a bit of a nod to Bon Jovi.

The album closes off on ‘Every Time You Call’ which keeps the rock motif going well and underlines the band’s ability to rock hard whilst keeping an eye on the melody to keep you hooked in. All in all, totally worth waiting for although if you made this an 8 track album and lost the last three tracks you wouldn’t be missing out on much. Bleeker, I suspect, will be one of those bands that just need a cross-over single and some hard touring to make it but it will all come down to their live shows and from what I hear they are pretty legendary.


Live Dates:

3rd March – Maxwell’s Concerts & Events, Waterloo
4th March – The Pheonix Concert Theatre, Toronto w/Luke Austin
14th May – Somerset Amphitheater, Somerset

21st May – Rock On the Range, Columbus

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