photo by @mxsterdj at @specksrecords
Following the EP’s ‘Dystopian Futures’ (2016) and ‘Dystopia Today’ (2018), Portland‘s post-punk newer romantics The Bedrooms released their debut full album ‘Passive Viewing’ on February 1st, 12″ Vinyl & Digital, via Oregon‘s new DIY label Domestic Departure, run by Erika Elizabeth, as its first-ever release! And it rocks! Yes, how many times have you heard that most of the bands from Portland are like similar cousins to the Californian outfits? How many times have you thought or heard in a discussion that Portland’s alternative scene is like the rival awe to the Californian fuzzes and grooves? Me a lot of times, and you know, the distance between them is only one surfboard away. None of the two copies the other and as it seems (and often sounds) they both speak the same rock and roll dialect.
The Bedrooms play post-punk music with all the required guarantees in it. Sharp guitar riffing by shady and shinning guitars, the passion with a reason at the front, that drummer who will always play with a character, and the eternal bass player who only but a few mentions but everybody will be looking for after the show because “my dear, your style and sound simply rock mountains”. These are the basic elements and the ingredients of The Bedrooms, with Sheana on the guitar, and vocals, Danny on that bass, and vocals, Jacyn on the drums, synth, and vocals, and Jen on vocals, synth, and percussion, a gang! Let’s rock a bit first with some adventures in ‘Sunset Blvd.’ and I have some more to say after that!
“a wicked dream has seized my heart
I’m well placed in this silence
feeding every sense I have
so I can leave this party”
This one was a typical song (to say so) by The Bedrooms where everything is in place but in a more twisted sense. The band plays seriously and is very well-tuned as you heard, and that twisted sense I mentioned before, comes from the singer’s likes toward the old firm new wave frontwomen like i.e. Siouxsie. That great comfort on the microphone with that ‘windy’ style when singing. The Bedrooms own a very skilled singer with this gift that she holds, her voice. And things may become a lot louder and groovy, switch to ‘I’m Not Alive’!
“A drink to excess
extravagant prose”
And the band also shows a ‘kinky’ yet veiled keen on some ‘deathrockrules’ habits. No, you won’t listen to any beloved morbidity in their album but the core riffing in ‘We Are Unknown’ is wonderful devastation. Put in the drummer too who madly insisted that song should’ve been more furious and you have a pretty explosive situation. Oh, I forgot to mention this is the opener of the album, yeah!
“A blackhole in my mind
so young inside
I’ve never felt this good
in all my life”
Other songs to focus on, well it is the entire album but let me give you some more titles. ‘Edge Of Consent‘, ‘Raconteur’, or ‘Ready Room’. But instead of reading my epic impressions on each and every song of the LP, I am challenging you to listen to it closely because it rocks, and because it sounds so desirable fresh. On the other hand, don’t be so surprised if you listen to any of the stories of your life in it, it happens quite often when listening to true bands. Take a walk in the city with this record in your ears…the result will be pretty groovy! And don’t forget to support these local bands which present records that are such good sounding because mostly, they respect your ears and the money you give’em for their next leap ahead. And keep up with the DIY thing because apart from the sociopolitical move, in there you will find gems like this and you know it! So, here is the debut album ‘Passive Viewing’ by The Bedrooms via Domestic Departure!
Keep Up With The Bedrooms and Domestic Departure:
The Bedrooms
Written by Loud Cities Mike
