Title: Darling Don't Dive
Format Reviewed: Free Download (from http://bleachblood.net/darlingdontdive/)
Format Released: 14th March 2014
Reviewed By: James Reeve
I'll always remember the first time I heard the King Blues. I was 17 years old and doing some research as to who my "band" would have the pleasure of sharing the "stage" with (which was nothing more than my friend's living room at his family home in Crystal Palace). Still though, it was one of those moments that I know I'll never forget, as this was the first gig (and last...) that my "band" ever performed. Put simply, the King Blues were utterly outstanding. What made it so exceptional though, was Jamie Jazz. Whether this was because I loved the way he played guitar, or because we had a short conversation outside about 80's hardcore while drinking cider, I'll never know. What I do know though is that since their split, I've been looking
forward to seeing what could come out from it, and in 2012 we saw the introduction of Bleach Blood.
Having already been played on stations such as Xfm, BBC Radio 1 and Kerrang!, as well as releasing a video for Anything, Anything, one of the four, I had a rough idea of what to expect from their latest release Darling Don't Dive. To be honest though, at only 14 minutes long, it exceeded all expectations.
The London quartet kick things off with the exceptional opening track Darling Don't Dive, with blasting guitars and drum work that'll have yourself tapping your fingers along to. With some added electronics, and lyrics you will happily sing to, it's easily a wonderful choice to start and it only gets better from there.
What I found to be great about this short E.P. is simply the variety that it gives you, and you will definitely hear this with the voracious track S.O.U.L. Adding a mixture of what can be described as garage rock and old school punk, it shows that there is a lot that Bleach Blood can offer, even more so to those old school punk fans who might not have found interest before. But with those heavy pounding choruses, and exceptionally emotional vocals, it's easy to find your head moving along in time.
Anything, Anything is what I like to describe as pure indie bliss. Since it's release last year I've heard it multiple times, so I already knew exactly what I was going to say regarding this track. Linda Harrison, who adds guest vocals, really adds that emotional value to the song while in harmony with Jamie. Alongside this, the smashing guitar work and exceptional drumming truly make this a stand out track, and it shows as to why they released it last year.
For me though, it's the closing song The Circle and The Square that really sells it. A slow yet beautiful beginning that gradually ascends into a song that is filled with wondrous melody, ve
ry much reminiscent to that of Bloc Party. It's the perfect end to the E.P, and is something that (to myself) sounds like a festival favourite. It's a fantastic end to the short record, and it simply leaves you wanting more.
Bleach Blood, which consists of Jamie Jazz, guitarist Paul Mullen (from Yourcodenameis:milo, another old favourite of mine), bassist Charlie Elliot, and drummer Invisible Frank, have made this wonderfully gripping E.P. available free for download. So, put down that cup of tea, finish reading this review, and start listening to these guys now before you'll regret it.
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