album: Bloom
artist: Glass Age
genre: rock & roll
release date: November 22, 2019
star rating: five out of five

review by Levi Yager

Glass Age have officially put down roots with Bloom. Their debut EP is rich with melody and deftly balances gloom with expectancy. It rocks, it rolls, and it’ll have you hitting replay as soon as it stops. All in just three songs. Suffice it to say, I’m hooked.

“Someone to Believe” takes its time to ramp up, but the slow and steady approach definitely wins the race here. Glass Age is firing on all cylinders with this one, flourishing prickly lead guitar, fuzzy rhythm guitar and pronounced drum and bass. These factors magnify the striking melodic progression that propels the song forward. It’s an excellent start.

“Heavy Wait” is next in line. Like the song before, it has great arrangements all-around. Yet, in contrast, “Heavy Wait” is a bit more sullen in theme. Lyrically, it’s about the social pressures of living in the Bible Belt, which provides for interesting musings.

Then, we’re left with “Baby Teeth.” Sticking to the melancholy feel, it adds a little bite to the blues. Brilliant lyrics with sharp metaphoric devices lure the listener onward, and the vocals and lead guitar take turns sharing the spotlight. It’ll surely have you singing “why can’t it just be you?” before long.

Bloom is a fantastic entrance for Glass Age. It’s short and bittersweet, and it succeeds most of all because the band focuses on the core of what makes a song work. They put the melody at the forefront and let everything else fall into place. And the fact that they can really turn a phrase takes it to another level. Truly, I can’t wait to hear what Glass Age will come up with in the future. But for now, the scent of Bloom is in the air. So breathe it all in.