Label: EMI
Released: 26th March 2021
York-based indie quartet and recent EMI signees Bull have dropped a 13-track debut that brings together almost a decade of writing and rocking into a joyous and highly infectious record that seems almost timeless.
The band have miraculously managed to reflect the eccentricity of their live performances across this LP, which is helped by the raw production approach that allows natural sounds to flourish rather than inserting them later. The experimental and innovative mix of instrumentation amplifies this further and occasionally causes a delightfully chaotic mess.
Kicking off with ‘Bedroom Floor’, listeners are immediately thrown into a delicate melodic, and harmonic triumph which only gains momentum the deeper your auditory senses delve, and this continues until the moment the title track rounds off the experience.
Songs like ‘Eddie’s Cap’ and recent single ‘Eugene’ prove a complete mastery of dynamics, with tempo and tone switching drastically from mellow to grunge to give songs a memorable sonic landscape that leaves a lasting impression and subverts expectations of indie-rock structure – this is something Bull are clearly experts at, along with skilful guitar riffs and angelic group harmonies.
Thematically, the album explores beginnings and endings, hopes and insecurities, prosperity and failure, with the overarching euphoria of the music being the one thing that ties it all together – rarely does a debut nail the glee of indie-pop-rock so precisely. ‘Green’ is a great example of this, exploring the journey of finding happiness in your situation, with killer solos and backing vocals that warm the soul – there’s no denying, this music is pretty.
‘Discover Effortless Living’ is half happy-go-lucky summery vibes and half unhinged chaos; fortunately, these elements are combined in a way that would simultaneously melt a cynic’s heart and deepen an optimist’s appreciation of the world in a way that only Bull could manage to pull off.
