BLEACHERS - BLEACHERS
A literal “jack of all trades,” Jack Antonoff’s world-class producer chops have led to famous loyal collaborations with some of the world’s biggest superstars. Whether it’s through his work with Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, or The 1975, Antonoff’s artistry is sprinkled throughout the music industry. While each of his producer collaborations yield widely different results, his personal artist project Bleachers is Jack Antonoff in his purest form. Heavily influenced by Bruce Springsteen and other popular music from the 1980s, Antonoff explores themes of love, regret, and celebration in Bleachers’ fourth studio album, the self-titled Bleachers.
As a legendary producer, it’s no wonder that each Bleachers album sounds like it was perfectly crafted with intense care and attention. On the opening track, ‘I Am Right On Time,’ cinematic synthesizers lead us into the album through building tempos - cultivating a vibe that feels reminiscent of the music of the 1980s in a more general sense, rather than a direct inspiration from Springsteen himself. However, on the second track and lead single ‘Modern Girl,’ we’re greeted with funky saxophone and a simple uptempo beat reminiscent of previous Bleachers releases on their most recent album Take The Sadness Out of Saturday Night. Although incredibly well done, this surface-level dance track lacks the intrigue and unique quality that was present in their first two projects - Strange Desire and Gone Now.
Purposefully monotone vocals and subtle saxophone peppered in between lyrical breaks are a constant throughout this LP. On tracks like ‘Jesus Is Dead’ and ‘Self Respect,’ we’re still able to hear clear influence from popular music from the 1980s, but with more dreamy, synth-heavy, and somewhat jazzy undertones. Artists such as The Talking Heads and Tears For Fears were a clear inspiration on this record, as Bleachers’ overall brand and artist aesthetic has slowly evolved over the years to resemble the ‘80s entirely.
Although much of this self-titled album feels familiar, the band introduces acoustic instrumentation in a way that we have yet to see from them before. On ‘Woke Up Today’ and ‘Hey Joe,’ we hear the acoustic guitar prominently featured with touches of brass and electric guitar riffs - possibly gathering influence from his recent collaboration with The 1975 on their album Being Funny In A Foreign Language, as well as Lana Del Rey’s recent swing into country music. Although Antonoff is clearly easily influenced by his favorite musicians and frequent collaborators, these two tracks represent quintessential Bleachers in every sense.
An underrated standout on Bleachers, ‘Call Me After Midnight’ features backing vocals from Kevin Abstract. This funky, danceable track showcases a unique combination of natural piano, vocal effects, saxophone, snare drums, and synthesizers. Whereas on tracks like ‘We’re Gonna Know Each Other Forever’ and ‘Ordinary Heaven,’ we hear a moodier side of the record, featuring twinkly synths and emotionally raw vocals.
The perfect conclusion track ‘The Waiter’ feels reflective, mostly reminiscent of Gone Now’s final track ‘Foreign Girls.’ The sonic energy exuded here is so unique yet universally applicable - with uncertain, scared, yet hopeful undertones that make the song feel like the end scene to your own personal coming of age film.
Since their start as a band, Bleachers has served as an outlet for extremely talented musicians (most notably Jack Antonoff) to experiment with music that feels authentic to them and their personal taste. Each album that they have released, although some more admired than others, was clearly developed with intense care and consideration in a way that only a world-class producer can accomplish. On the self-titled Bleachers, Antonoff proves himself yet again as one of the greatest musical legends of this generation - providing excellence both behind and in front of the vocal booth.
Emily Gottlieb
★★★☆☆