Rock and roll quartet The Bloomfields have unveiled a brand-new studio album called “A Drop Into the Blue” on June 15, Saturday. Composed of 10 new tracks, the effort comes eight years after their first and last all-original release, “Hit The Ground Running.”
During their June 13 radio guesting on Wish 107.5, drummer and vocalist Rocky Collado shared that their latest record sums up how the band feels about being back on the scene, offering fresh OPM pieces to music-loving Filipinos.
“[The album] is a play on words, and it’s about how we feel as musicians… We’ve been stuck with not writing for a while, but now that we’re back — we now feel like a drop of water back into the ocean,” he remarked.
Though it took them quite a while before dropping a new full-length album, the band composed of Collado, Lakan Hila (vocals, guitars), Dino Pascual (vocals, guitars), and Louie Poco (vocals, bass) made sure that what their listeners would hear is not confined to the usual retro-sounding concept they are known for.
With “A Drop Into The Blue,” the band who shot to mainstream fame with the 2000s hit “Ale,” is back to showcase their wide-ranging musical influences including ‘60s rock, psychedelic pop, and ‘90s Britpop, with hints of blues and funk.
“What’s unique with this album is that, for the first time, we had full creative control of all the songs, and everything was self-produced which allowed us time to let our very own distinct sound to come out through each track,” the group explained in a statement.
The songs, which were recorded mostly in their home studio, were mixed and mastered at Wombworks Studios by renowned producer and musician Pat Tirano.
In the album, The Bloomfields welcomes listeners in an Oasis-like fashion with “One Time Nevermind,” offering a little surprise with a rap verse injected towards the end. What comes next is a socio-political anthem called “Ilaw,” punctuated by a catchy hook that makes for an effective caveat: Don’t get fooled by evils hiding behind seemingly pleasing appearances.
The quartet then exposes deceivers and liars in “Huli Ka,” a piece laced with playful basslines, tambourine notes, jangly guitar sounds, and occasional whispers. Bringing in a lighter, brighter mood — musically and lyrically — they dish out the bouncy “Out of Sight,” the Beach Boys vibe-exuding “Bubblier,” and the highly infectious “Where Are You Goin?”
The record then gets notches funkier with the track “In The City,” in which the narrator desperately looks for love with “a jungle in the season of heat” as his setting. The same energy is carried on to the next cut, the angsty and supercharged “How Dare You.”
A stark contrast to its preceding songs, The Bloomfields takes their audience to another dimension with the summery “Tutut,” which was the first single to be released off the album. Ending the record on a meaningful rock-and-roll note, the band provides an anthem for people who want to slow down with “Breathe It In.”
What makes “A Drop Into The Blue” even more special is the way its release has been a concerted effort among fans and supporters.
Carried on the website The Spark Project, The Bloomfields resorted to crowdfunding to help them launch their second all-original album.
“At a time where artists are expected to independently produce, market and sell their work, we are looking into crowdfunding to help us get our original music out to a wider audience without having to sign with a major record label,” the band said in a statement posted on the page.
Apart from the creatively-packaged and designed album (available in CD and cassette mp3 formats), supporters were also able to get their hands on exclusive merchandise, which includes stickers, pins, shirts, and postcard sets.
Check out “A Drop Into The Blue” below:
Watch their Wish Bus performance of “Tutut” below:
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