Decades beyond the genesis of their two key influences — grunge and emo — Toronto's Nightwell join a growing musical movement blurring the lines between the two with "Bloom," their first released song ever.
Starting around the same time on opposite coasts, grunge on the west and emo on the east, the two punk-affiliated subgenres were quite literally miles apart. Though Nirvana and Jawbreaker did tour together at one point, no one could have predicted that 30 years on from the first Pearl Jam EP (and the posthumous, final Rites of Spring EP, since we're keeping track), the two would become synonymous.
But they have, as the rise of soft grunge has essentially placed the two together in a thesaurus under "melancholy music." Bands like Balance and Composure and Title Fight have no doubt received both descriptors for their powerful and poignant tunes, and so will Nightwell.
"Bloom" starts out with tender guitar before adding the vocals and lyrics — "you're all that I know, and I still feel alone" — to match. The song takes its name literally, as it slowly flowers into a hypnotic refrain.
The bridge connects the gap between the rise and fall of the song's main body and one last romp through the catchy chorus via a nostalgic sample in the background. Similarly and appropriately, this music might bring you back, if not for the sound then for the lovelorn lyrics and the feelings they elicit.
Get your first taste of Nightwell via "Bloom" below, and don't miss out on their live debut in Toronto with Hundred Suns on August 25 at Adelaide Hall.
Starting around the same time on opposite coasts, grunge on the west and emo on the east, the two punk-affiliated subgenres were quite literally miles apart. Though Nirvana and Jawbreaker did tour together at one point, no one could have predicted that 30 years on from the first Pearl Jam EP (and the posthumous, final Rites of Spring EP, since we're keeping track), the two would become synonymous.
But they have, as the rise of soft grunge has essentially placed the two together in a thesaurus under "melancholy music." Bands like Balance and Composure and Title Fight have no doubt received both descriptors for their powerful and poignant tunes, and so will Nightwell.
"Bloom" starts out with tender guitar before adding the vocals and lyrics — "you're all that I know, and I still feel alone" — to match. The song takes its name literally, as it slowly flowers into a hypnotic refrain.
The bridge connects the gap between the rise and fall of the song's main body and one last romp through the catchy chorus via a nostalgic sample in the background. Similarly and appropriately, this music might bring you back, if not for the sound then for the lovelorn lyrics and the feelings they elicit.
Get your first taste of Nightwell via "Bloom" below, and don't miss out on their live debut in Toronto with Hundred Suns on August 25 at Adelaide Hall.
