Long known as a trusted collaborator, Mike Bloom has worked with the likes of Julian Casablancas and Jenny Lewis. Now, he’s releasing a backlog of his own material.
By Graeme Smith
“One time on tour with Jenny, somewhere in New Jersey, I was rushed to a hospital after a show in an anaphylactic near death frenzy. I think it was the gin,” Bloom laughs, recounting an anecdote from the road. I’d asked him to share something of the artists he’d worked with. Gallantly, he’d thrown himself under the bus.
And I suppose that’s the attitude one needs to become a trusted collaborator. Aside from his work with other artists, Bloom also has worked on soundtracks on some notable films starring Hollywood legends like Will Smith, Anne Hathaway and Leonardo DiCaprio, but we’re not talking about that today.
Rather, this is a chance to delve into Bloom’s solo work. Something he’s amassed a backlog of and is now releasing. So, why now?
“Prompted by necessity,” Bloom says. “By late nights, tossing around and shaking hands with shadows. Had such an ever-expanding backlog of material and it was mighty confusing how to even begin to share it all. Had a sit down with myself. Figured, if I’m gonna ever be somewhere remotely close to content, I’m gonna have to do something about all this.”
Our first taste of it is Natural Disaster, a groovy yet dreamy number that instantly creates atmosphere. There’s a heart-breaking softness to it all. Bloom’s vocals are gentle yet devastating while his lyrics give us some striking imagery. As it progresses, we get snatches of edge which provide pleasing textures. It’s the full package. Will it all be like this?
“I hope there’s a natural through line to all the work I do,” Bloom says. “I would think there must be, if it’s all coming from an authentic place. So, I cautiously say yes, a listen through to whatever follows won’t be a shocking departure. Having said that, there are so many songs to come, and I’ll be batching them into various EPs and full lengths, so that they make sense or feel cohesive as bodies of work. In other words, if you try and connect the dots from one random track to another, the experience may feel more angular than if you were to listen in sequence as intended.”
If Natural Disaster is anything to go by, Bloom has a sound that harkens back to the ’80s but in a modern way. It’s inspired by ethereal creative forces that he’s tuned himself into, as well as hardship and inner turmoil. “I wouldn’t recommend it, and I wouldn’t necessarily wanna make that indefinite deal with the devil,” he says. “I like sunlight more than I used to. I like the privilege of living. That’s inspiring.”
Alongside the track comes a video that takes classic animation and syncs it with the music in a hypnotic way. “I’m a big fan of archival material and I’m no stranger to nerding out on obscure and relatively ancient material,” Bloom says. “I was watching a bunch of this kind of thing one day and that one particular Felix the Cat animation from 1930, I believe, truly struck me like a divine bolt from the heavens.”
Bloom worked with his artist friend Noah Dorsey to supplement the existing material to create what we now see as the video.
Natural Disaster is just the start of a steady stream of songs over the next year and a half. Once the backlog has been worked through, he’s also promising brand new material. It seems a great time to be discovering the work of Mike Bloom and I’m certainly a fan.
The single is out now and you can give it a listen below.
