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‘Love Is Not The End,’ Nor is Pop for Bonhom

Usually, it’s like pulling teeth trying to describe an indie shoegaze pop record that’s been done before to your friends. How do you describe this synth melody and disengage it from last week’s?

 

Fortunately, Bonhom, rising from record Sex War, has swiveled their post rock and dream pop sound into something unique. Love Is Not The End is a diamond of stellar constellations. This sophomore LP achieves where many fail.

 

Galaxies to Enjoy with Bonhom

In part, this is done with the constant undertone of dream-like production. Every song sounds like a journey through somewhere other than Earth. Always unexpected, always quite the experience. The second track, “Love Is,” launches into another realm with its hard rock intermission within the depths of whimsical soul. Keeping up with the hazy “Set You Free,” the journey of listening only gets deeper.

The duo goes beyond sticking to too many facets of one genre, so setting expectations is an unrealistic measurement of the record. The only effective way to gather a straightforward opinion is to realize how hooked you are after the opener, “Nothing Will Bring Us Down.” This one sneaks up on you, bringing a hip hop-like beat to it, setting up for what else can be explored with the album.

 

Exploring to a deeper extent

 

“Unnatural” is a fitting song title. There’s so much going on that’s not there, and it’s quite lovely. The lyrics reflect feelings that don’t feel home to the body, reflecting the impact of the music. A real hidden gem in the galaxy of the record, “Unnatural” shouldn’t be forgotten among the other standouts within. The build and effect afterwards are such keys to the movement and variance of the album.

 

Effects are a big one with the record. Most of the songs have deep intents behind them that aren’t so easily spotted. On the surface, the collection of songs might seem like something you save for a rainy day, but most of the intent lies in the desire to go beyond what’s shown, and that’s what Love Is Not The End offers.

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