by Elizabeth Braaten (@lizbraatens)
It’s been over five years since Late Bloomer released their last album, the summer-blazed third LP, Waiting. Hailed by Pitchfork for their emotional tenor and intensity, the North Carolina rock trio are beloved for their honest songwriting and energetic, guitar-driven sonic landscapes. On new single “Hope For Rain,” however, the band channels the kinetic force that defined their earlier records into a more harmony-saturated, fuzz-laden sound. In the same vein as previously released tracks “Mother Mary” and “Self Control,” both from their upcoming album, their latest single blends melancholic melodies and purring pedal steel into the group’s usual mix of heavy guitar, culminating in a sound that listens like early-Oasis meets the gentle twang of Appalachian-grown Americana.
With Josh Robbins on bass, Neil Mauney on guitar, and Scott Wishart on drums, the trio are on the cusp of their biggest record to date, tackling themes like forgiveness, depression, and religion with a stalwart mix of tenderness and gusto. Aptly-titled Another One Again, their fourth full-length outing loops in longtime collaborator Jarad Rogers of Tennessee garage punk rockers Nerve Endings on guitar and also boasts guest appearances from Wes Hamilton (Pullman Strike), Stephen Pierce (Ampere, Kindling, Gold Dust), Sarah Blumenthal (Alright, Faye, Quad), Elise Okusami (Oceanator), and Rob Pennington (By the Grace of God, Endpoint). The result is a new direction entirely for the band.
Speaking about “Hope For Rain,” Mauney shared:
“Depression is a liar. It tells me self-pity, self-harm, and ceasing to exist are the only viable routes for relief. It tries to convince me that I’m worthless, yet at the same time it tells me that my pain is somehow more significant than that of others. But there is no fate or some ultimate plan, and just because I exist in it, the world owes me nothing. Where I end up and what I get is up to chance but it’s up to me to make the best of the chances I get."
Tour Dates:
3/01 - Durham, NC @ Pinhook w/ Jenny Besetzt
3/02 - Charlotte, NC @ Petra's w/ Jenny Besetzt
3/21 - Washington, DC @ Quarry House Tavern
3/22 - Philadelphia, PA @ Ortlieb's w/ Talking Kind
3/23 - Brooklyn, NY @ Purgatory w/ Jobber
3/24 - Richmond, VA @ Gallery Five w/ Gnawing & Downhaul
Check out Another One Again when it releases on March 1st, 2024, out via Dead Broke and Self Aware Records.