bdrmm

I Don’t Know – Rock Action

After first listen, you can tell that bdrmm, the Hull, England based band, is one that leans heavy on shoegaze, but a modernized version, much like DIIV. I Don’t Know, is their second album, after 2020’s Bedroom, and their sound has matured and added in some electronic beats/synths to further their progression as a band. This release is on post punk, prog/shoegaze rockers Mogwai’s own label and their influence certainly comes out, as the length of the songs and the tone match that of their label heads. In fact, they toured with Mogwai on their last trek in Europe.

Track 7, “Pulling Stiches,” is a shoegaze purists track – dreamy guitars and oscillating beat, with whisper, echo vocals. Just enough grind in the guitars to recall Catherine Wheel. Track 2, “Be Careful,” is a Radiohead clone of a song – moody and atmospheric, with synths creating a cloud-like space for the vocals. The first track on the album, “Alps,” jumps into the electronica foray, creating a beat that is dark and hypnotic. Guitars thrash back in the middle on track 3, “It’s Just A Bit Of Blood,” a driving tune that has shades of more recent Ride recordings. “A Final Movement,” track 8, is a slower paced epic – a mostly minimal drone of cinematic soundscapes.

Fans of dreampop, shoegaze, and proggy post punk will be in a special place with this album. It just hits all the vibes you’d expect from this kind of rock.

Tracks 1, 2, 5, and 8 are mellower fare. Tracks 3, 4, 6, and 7 are harder edged and louder – (track 5 is an instrumental) – My favorites: 7**, 1**, 2**, 8**, 6**, 3**, and 4*.

– (h)earwitness