Seeing Golden Bloom on Sunday night reminded me of the bands I’d see in college—earnest and introspective, pouring out their hearts in front of a small crowd—the difference being that this band was good. Playing at the Mercury Lounge in New York, Golden Bloom started the night off right with a 45-minute show that was loud, fun, and almost too tight for a band that’s still working on its first LP.
Fronting the band is Shawn Fogel, a singer/song writer with a quick wit and an ear for catchy melodies. Fogel’s lyrics are what really set the music apart from other “power pop” groups. Sensitive and disarming are staples of the genre, but unlike his predecessors, Fogel has a sense of fun and a cheekiness that pulls in the crowd, probably from his work with concept bands The Zambonis and The Leevees. Lyrically, my favorite of the night was “She Leaves Me Poetry,” which the title suggests could be weighed down with angst. But Fogel has fun it, making the song more comedy than tragedy.
It’s no surprise that the band's first release off the album was also the most musically layered of the evening. Unlike most of the songs, which had a toe-tapping, laid-back vibe, “The Fight at the End of the Tunnel” crescendos with Fogel wailing into the mic and lead guitarist Jeff Patlingrao ripping through his solo like he’s in a trance. Next to Fogel’s jumpy enthusiastic guitar, Patlingrao offers a stabilizing calm. The live performance is on the band’s MySpace page, and definitely worth looking into.
The overall show was a straightforward good time. Fogel had great rapport with the audience, but never tripped over himself to over explain the music or the band. And although the Mercury seems endlessly impossible to fill on a Sunday, I was happy to see the band pick up more than a few new fans by the end of their set.
