BLOOM

Caligula's Horse have cohesive songwriting, They write slick tracks, binding heaviness and borderline tech 'Marigold' with expansive melancholy 'Dragonfly'. They can knock out tracks that I wouldn't be surprised to hear on the radio 'Rust' or extremely epic and catchy choruses 'Turntail', and songs like 'Daughter of the Mountain' and 'Firelight' show off their progressive credentials. Even closing anthem 'Undergrowth' pretty much convinced me that I'd purchase an acoustic record written by these gentlemen. The variety of styles and the ease with which the band moves between them demonstrates a love for, and mastery of, varied influences and styles. Such twists and turns call to mind bands like The Dear Hunter, Katatonia, or even Swedish gladprog Kaipa. If there's one downside here, I think it's that Bloom is less varied in its writing than its predecessor. Certain quotes or melodies, phrasing and tone can make Bloom seem repetitive. And while Grey is a dynamic singer, one can get the sense he thinks a song isn't a good song unless he's used every last octave in his range. But since this record is littered with excellent moments, stellar performances from all the musicians'once again putting on display the immense talent that seems to be cropping up in the Australian scene'and only a single misstep in 'Burn,' this nagging sense of repetition is merely background noise.