In the same way flowers reach for light, Ben Böhmer cultivates his own artistic growth in his stunning new album, Bloom.
Fans of the melodic house superstar know that beneath the surface of his music lies a multilayered complexity, with intricate harmonic shifts that lend his compositions a lingering sense of evolving mystery. But we get more answers in Bloom, where the nuances of his production blossom like wildflower meadows in spring.
It’s clear Böhmer used the new album as a canvas for exploration, ambitiously experimenting with new genres and tempos. He also embraces songwriting like never before, threading his atmospheric production through lyricism that quavers with vulnerability.
Awash in a woozy haze of synth pads, “Hiding” is one of the album’s most compelling departures. A lullaby for the blind, the stunning breakbeat track pulses with the painful pang of almost-connection as Lykke Li warbles, “Where are you hiding?”
“Rain” is another beautiful deviation, an ambient ballad exploring loneliness in the arms of others. Nary a single kick drum, it’s a cinematic deluge of emotion where Max Milner belts atop Böhmer’s sweeping strings to lament a breakup through anguished vocals laced with the aftertaste of emptiness.
Despite those surprises, Bloom isn’t a complete anomaly. Longtime fans of Böhmer will find solace in “Beautiful,” a melodic house masterstroke. Here, feathery vocals from Malou invite you to close your eyes and let your imagination paint the world in vibrant hues, even when the darkness seems overwhelming. The same goes for “Memory Cassettes,” a vintage Böhmer track that bottles nostalgia like the cartridges of its namesake.
Out now via Ninja Tune, Bloom is Böhmer’s third studio album and first since 2021’s Begin Again. You can listen below and find the album on streaming platforms here.
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