By Beverly Kreller.
Harmonizing trio LUNAR BLOOM release their debut full-length album Running Deep.
Lunar Bloom is Brittany Rae Robinson, Kelly McNamee, and Jocelyn Regina, a Toronto-based trio rooted in the folk tradition. Their original songs feature complex vocal harmonies and intimate storytelling. Running Deep will be available on all major platforms through CD Baby.
Lunar Bloom often take their feminist consciousness and three-part harmonies into surprising, unexpected, even stunning directions, not unlike New York late-'70s trio The Roches. That much is certainly clear from the three singles already drawn from the album: “Heroes,” “Call Me A Woman,” and the title track, “Running Deep.”
Elsewhere on the album, "Angry All The Time" starts quietly, but then lives up to its title with a loud and powerful reprise of the chorus, which ultimately resolves into a dreamy, atmospheric vibe. The song was inspired by a recurring dream of getting into an intense argument with someone and the realization that this dream was about an incident that happened in high school. McNamee is the lead vocalist here.
The intricate, gorgeous, inventive harmonies in "Oceans" are a physical metaphor for the waves, and examine the persistence of shame and regret, and the possibility of overcoming them. "It was written for a loved one going through a great life struggle," says Robinson, who provides lead vocal, though the song showcases three-part harmonies for almost its entire length. It's almost like the Beach Boys became girls, learned about metaphor, and boldly extended their harmonic style.
"La Lune," sung in French and completely a cappella, is a lullaby for the heart – a young lover confiding in the moon, asking for advice, and pleading for her loved one to be returned.
Lead by Regina, "Garden Song" is as close as Lunar Bloom comes to a traditional pop song format, although it's closer to a lost '60s British psych-pop single -- albeit one with an unlikely pedal steel solo, courtesy of the redoubtable Christine Bougie.
Lunar Bloom are full of playful banter and dreamy love songs, balanced with feminist anthems and calls to action. They embrace harmonic tension, and rhythms that challenge expectations, creating the story of each song through musical devices as well as poetic lyrics. They call it “dream folk.” Their self-titled EP was nominated in the Folk/Roots Category for an Independent Music Awards 2020. Singles “Sweater,” and “Monster,” from the EP, have made it to the top 100 in CBC Searchlight 2020, and have been featured on CBC’s “Fresh Air.” They have completed two Southern Ontarian tours, written more than 30 songs, showcased at Folk Music Ontario, and crowdfunded their upcoming debut album, Running Deep.
Website: www.lunarbloomband.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lunarbloomband
Instagram: www.instagram.com/lunarbloomband