Review: Hazel Bloom — "Nobody's Nothing"

Boston-based musician Hazel Bloom has always been about defying the norm; whether it be musically, socially, or personally, his willingness to stray from the beaten path has been a gamble that's paid off marvelously in the form of well-received individual eccentricity. His newest song, "Nobody's Nothing," stands strong testament to that.

The first thing listeners will notice about "Nobody's Nothing" is its contained energy. The synths that open the song rarely rise above a mezzo forte, instead relying on their steady pulse to invigorate the song. Later musical punches accentuate the track and mirror the motion in the lyrics, creating a parallel that truly brings the instrumentals to life.

Lyrically, "Nobody's Nothing" is a scathing exploration into the realities of love and life. Hazel Bloom- aka Dave Carlin, the man behind the music- sings of how "we think too much / we feel too little," speaking to today's society and its lack of reliance on intuition. There's a certain Nietzsche-level sense of existentialism within the piece; exclamations of "I'm in love with nothing / Nobody's nothing" seem to convey a certain dismay towards the futility of man. Counteracting the themes of love and compassion, it creates one of the many dichotomies that give the song a personal edge.

Another of these disparities lies in the vocal and instrumental styles. While the aforementioned smooth electronica creates a steady momentum, it stands starkly against Carlin's vocal style, which is tinged with the imperfect crooning sounds of modern pop-punk. Against all odds, however, it works. The synthetic drum beat rounds out the vocals, while the lyrics add dimension to the loops. It's synchrony that grows into symbiosis.

Though just his second single released to date, "Nobody's Nothing" encapsulates what makes Hazel Bloom such an outstanding artist. His unique spin on classic genres and styles has helped him forge his way through the industry, and his growth from late 2018's "I Loved You, Once" is promising in and of itself. It wouldn't be surprising to soon see Hazel Bloom's name alongside those established acts like Coleman Hell and Dennis Lloyd, helping to further redefine the game and re-examine what it means to be an artist and a creator in an unlabeled era of music.

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