The Day the Colors Died

Description

The Day the Colors Died is the debut album by the American indie rock band Bloomsday, released on Brainstorm Artists International in 1996, distributed by Diamante. The album was recorded and mixed by Erik Tokle, Gene Eugene of Adam Again fame, Andy Prickett of The Prayer Chain fame, as well as Aaron Sprinkle of Poor Old Lu fame, with Sprinkle producing. Bloomsday features Blake Wescott on guitar and vocals and a rhythm section consisting of Steve Leslie on bass and Mike Bravine on drums.

The full-length debut album was followed by an EP released the next year.

Another young alternative band hailing from Seattle vie for attention with this release. The band are obviously influenced by their location and present an album of bass heavy, distortion filled songs which demonstrates the band’s energy, musical chops and lyrical skill. Songs range from the energetic title track to the atmospheric «Song Of Five» which talks about following God’s plans even when we don’t fully understand them. My favourite track would have to be «Just The Same» which has a slightly lighter tone and a very energetic feel. It talks about searching for exactly where God is and needing to put more trust in him. Worth checking out if you’re into the more alternative side of rock. [James Stewart, Cross Rhythms, October 1996]

CD tracklist:

01. The Day The Colors Died
02. Patience
03. Just The Same
04. Song Of Five
05. Blue Poetry
06. Vitamin
07. Pablo’s Diary
08. I Remain Yours
09. Soft
10. Weight

[youtube_sc url=”A_XJrFe7yNc” playlist=”0pYueI9gP1w” title=”Bloomsday – Just The Same + Song of Five” autohide=”1″ rel=”0″]

Bloomsday’s debut and sadly only release (outside of a hard to find ’97 follow-up) is an incredibly beautiful and poetic tribute to the genre of music known as ‘emo’. Released in 1996, a decade after the genre first shuffled its way into the scene, ‘The Day The Colors Died’ epitomized all that is good in the style.

The album gives new meaning to the term “artist”. Melancholy crooning gives way to pleading heartfelt singing as the music ebbs and tides at just the right moments, painting an emotional aural masterpiece. From the epic-length tracks «Blue Poetry» or «Weight» to the acoustic intermission «Soft», the music has been put together to communicate emotion rather than comply with some verse-chorus-verse-bridge-chorus formula.

That said, the music is characteristic of the progression of ‘emo’ into the mainstream spotlight. This is possibly due to the team that helped create the album. The production influence of the great Aaron Sprinkle of Poor Old Lu fame is evident. The shorter tracks like the title track, «Patience» and especially «Just The Same» sound very similar to the more indie rock orientated material by Poor Old Lu. The album also saw engineering and mixing work by the late Gene Eugene of Adam Again, placing it in the exclusive company of albums fortunate enough to come out of The Fabulous Green Room studio.

‘emo’ is one of those genres whose die-hard fans “get it.” There is a whole sub-culture dedicated to the genre, complete with favorite movies and style of clothes that describe one as ‘emo’. This could possibly be why Bloomsday was so short lived, as those who picked up their material loved it, but the album did not have the pop sensibility to catch on with the masses. The music is one of the most immersive albums I have come across, inviting the listener to dive into the cascading fuzz of guitars and rhythmic vocal iterations.

The lyrics complete the experience, with profound poetic songwriting hitting as deep as you want it to be. The vocals are truly part of the music, interwoven with the flow of the tempo in perfect harmony.

The band has since scattered to the four winds. No word on drummer Mike Bravine. Front-man Blake Wescott went on to work with several acts as both part of the bands well as behind the scenes production. Projects include Pedro the Lion, Cush, Saltine, The Vogue, The Posies and more. Steve Leslie stayed in the Northwest and is now part of local Bellingham band Chuckanut Drive with a rockabilly sound as non-emo as they get.

‘The Day The Colors Died’ is a bittersweet remembrance of a great band that was. Considering the style of music, leaving in such a poignant state may be exactly what the band wanted. [Chad, Grace Hotel]