Eleven years after their debut, the Lovell sisters know how to do Larkin Poe.
They are confident and experienced now, as the seemingly effortlessly huge “Mockingbird” proves, but in honesty, the whole of “Bloom” feels like a ticker-tape parade celebrating everything they have learned along the way.
Rock and roll is deep within the sisters. “Easy Love Part 1” offers that “there’s something about a man with a guitar that really turns my head,” and the lead work is sleazy-sounding enough to make Blackberry Smoke enviously look on.
“Little Bit” changes the vibe. It’s the sound of contentment in four minutes. Relaxed and expertly done, from its organ swirl to Beatles-esque guitar. Indeed, it’s striking how many “vibes” it has. “Bluephoria” finds a rich vein of primal blues, and if you are looking for contrasts, then “Easy Love Part 2” makes it more literal.
A gorgeous, soulful ballad this time, sharing only a title with the one before, that seven minutes or so of music perhaps encapsulates the album—and the band—better than anything else.
As ever, though, there is a sense here that they have a nose for shenanigans. “We’ve got just enough trouble to start a reputation,” goes “Nowhere Fast,” over slide guitar that almost dares you to take them on. Tyler Bryant is co-producer here, and the raw feel is of him at his most visceral.
And the light and dark here are laid bare on “If God Was a Woman.” “If God was a woman, then the Devil is too,” sneers Rebecca Lovell—but if you scratch the surface anywhere here, you will find something that has so many layers, so much confidence. “Pearls” underlines the fact that the hooks are sensational—and you can imagine this becoming a live favourite.
Given the general demeanor here, you probably wouldn’t want to be the subject of “Fool Outta Me.”
“You Are the River” finds a ballad-like sound, and if “Bloom Again” gently ends things, then it does so in a manner that confirms that this is not just the most varied Larkin Poe record—the use of strings is wonderful—but it is also the best, and I would suggest the closing crescendo is their way of saying they know it too.
That song came from a suggestion from Mike Campbell that the sisters show their harmonies. It really works. Everything on “Bloom” does.
“Singing a thousand songs that don’t belong to me,” Lovell had sung on “Mockingbird.” Whatever, all of these 11 do.
Rating 9/10
