Bleachers – ‘Bleachers’ album review: the good and the bad of Jack Antonoff
THE SKINNY: It’s hard not to get swallowed up by the Jack Antonoff machine. Undoubtedly one of the most complete songwriters of his generation, Antonoff has his hands in a lot of pies. For over 20 years, as well as leading Bleachers, he has helped develop artists to reach their pop potential, shining through the cracks of his studio to resonate with increasingly large audiences. Taylor Swift is probably the artist who has benefitted most from Antonoff’s unique vision.
But St Vincent, Lorde, Diana Ross, and countless other stars have gained an extra shine from Antonoff’s studio, too. With such impressive clientele, the songwriter’s pet project, Bleachers have often been heralded with a similar appreciation, despite not receiving their commercial acclaim. The project’s latest album, their self-titled fourth release, is both a beneficiary of and beleaguered by Antonoff’s impressive resume.
Musically, as you’d expect, the LP is impeccable. The opening track ‘I Am Right On Time’ is tinged with the smokey exhaust of modern America, ‘Me Before You’ feels like a cast off from the jukebox of John Hughes and ‘Self Respect’ is as urgent as it is laden with hooks. There is rarely a misplaced note or failed idea, and the notion of Antonoff as the 21st-century answer to Bruce Springsteen is hard to ignore. For that, Bleachers should be regarded highly by the musical elite and the legions of alt-pop fans who follow them like a pastel religion.
However, there is one glaring error at the heart of this somewhat ironically self-titled record: it offers very little information about who or what Bleachers exactly are outside of impressive production. Perhaps owing more to Antonoff’s heavy involvement in the stars mentioned above, it is almost impossible to differentiate Bleachers’ style from the varied genres, flavours and structures, short of his newly introduced saxophone obsession. Individually, the tracks all work, some with the gliding pleasure of a sharp pair of scissors through craft paper, while others rip and tear at the perfection laid by the former. However, as a whole and exemplified by a closing run that truly baffles, they feel like 14 different movements, each vying for a new piece of the pie and demanding attention in their own way, and jarring the listener as they do so.
In short, you’ve already heard the majority of this Bleachers album—it can be heard in all of Antonoff’s previous productions and enjoyed just as much. If you’re trying to forget the sonics and simply feel the LP, then you’ll only have the groove to go by.
For fans of: Smoking dramatically, drinking erratically and soundtracking your cinematic life.
A concluding comment from my mum: “Have you left the radio on again? I hate Greg James with a passion.”
Bleachers track by track:
‘I Am Right On Time’: It is with the opening track that Antonoff makes his keenest play for the job of the The Boss. A clearly Springsteen-inspired opener, the track is delicately balanced between coastal cultural evolution and America’s heartland. [4/5]
‘Modern Girl’: Saxophone has a habit of hitting me straight in the heart, and ‘Modern Girl’ follows that punch to the chest with a hip-swaying good time. [3.5/5]
‘Jesus Is Dead’: “Each night I pray I meet God,” starts one of the album’s more stripped-back moments. But fear not, it still pops like an effervescent soda but disappoints like it has been left out in the sun. [2.5/5]
‘Me Before You’: It takes over half the song before any notion of power comes to the fore. While delicacy can sometimes be just as potent, there is a wistfulness that leaves ‘Me Before You’ feeling less complete than you’d expect from such a competent producer. [2.5/5]
‘Alma Mater’: A sneaky cameo from Lana Del Rey instantly elevates this track, but in truth, it is Antonoff’s vocal that steals the show. Dark and dour, it provides a welcome sourness to the sweets on offer thus far. [3/5]
‘Tiny Moves’: If there’s one thing that Antonoff is more than good at, it is delivering indie pop gems. ‘Tiny Mocves’ is undoubtedly such a bop. Simple and punchy, it delivers rousing hooks capable of catching a great white shark off guard. [3/5]
‘Isimo’: A welcome refrain from a song so radio-friendly it insists on shaking your hand at every note, Antonoff once again channels his darker side to provide something all the more gratifying. Brooding and bountiful. [3/5]
‘Woke Up Today’: A gentle attempt at a toe-tapper, Antonoff’s vocal tries to break free of the smoking jacket it gave itself in the LP’s first half. It delivers a quaint yet ultimately forgettable middle ground. [2.5/5]
‘Self Respect’: There’s a wonderful urgency to ‘Self Respect’ that the rest of the record is sorely missing. As sure as a ten-tonne freight train, the song’s vehicle hurtles towards its climax. [4/5]
‘Hey Joe’: Another poem brought to life, an aspect of classic 1960s writers runs through this under-two-minute ditty. [3/5]
‘Call Me After Midnight’: It is at this point that the LP undoubtedly begins to peter out. Antonoff is certainly one of the most gifted producers around, and you’d expect someone of his stature to have recognised the problem and made a shorter record. This 1975-inspired song feels like a track rejected by the band and shoved on to the end. [1.5/5]
‘We Are Going To Know Each Other Forever’: The whiplash of ‘Call Me After Midnight’ to ‘We Are Going To Know Each Other Forever’ has me calling InjuryLawyers4U in a bid for compensation. But, despite the slow down, it doesn’t bring the quality up. Antonoff begins his cyber-push and leaves behind the nugget of what made the album worth listening to. [1.5/5]
‘Ordinary Heaven’: Another push towards a computer-generated set of sonic emotions, ‘Ordinary Heaven’ feels closer to the reject pile of 1980s beats than a vision of the future. [2/5]
‘The Waiter’: Death to the artist who first added a vocoder in place of genuine emotion. Outside of the artificial vocal, the music soars with crafted affection, making this final moment of the album feel like the prophetic “chip in your head” Big Tech has so long promised us. [1/5]
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