The Bleaching Hour‘s Something Strange Happened Here (reimagined) EP will undoubtedly bring you back to the slow melancholy days that the early pandemic and lockdowns have left lingering in our memories.
Four-piece lofi pop band The Bleaching Hour release a reimagined version of their Something strange happened here EP on March 11, 2022, blending their original arrangements with yet more electro pop tunes and their trademark lo-fi sound. The EP highlights the difficulties of being a young person during the first phase of the pandemic and draws on the work of artists that influence the band such as The 1975, FUR, and Lana Del Rey.
The EP consists of four tracks: September, Thank God For These Brains!, At Least I…., and the carrier single Stars. The EP, originally released through The Bleaching Hour‘s Bandcamp, will now be available to stream on YouTube, Spotify, or any other music platform of your choice! About the experience of producing the EP, the girls mentioned that they prefer to develop the tunes first before coming up with the lyrics, which is an incredible feat considering the pandemic and not being able to meet up. Their enthusiasm and passion for what they do is evident in the fact that they managed to make things work.
We all know how difficult it was when the pandemic began, and looking back, no one could have predicted how it would unfold, and this EP really resonates with that phase. It clearly shows in one of the lines of their carrier single Star.
“And I cross my heart, I’ll repeat I wanna die
Everything shatters right before my eyes
I wake up everyday just to lay in bed all day
What’s stuck in my head are those lines”
It was the girls of The Bleaching Hour’s way of coping up with the whole situation – using their music and art to produce a masterpiece. Even reflected through their cover art, which was created by Mica Wu, as it is a darker version of the previous EP’s album art, symbolizing the difference between the two materials.
When asked about their inspiration and who they are trying to reach, they respond, “no one in particular really but we wanted to reach people who feel the same things: misery and complacency.”
Mica also revealed that the album art for SSHH previously reflected more on the early situation on COVID19 with a woman wearing a facemask, but for the remake, she removed the mask and the woman’s hair became untangled. “Bukod sa bago na ito, kase nga remake, mas malinaw at mas nakikita na tunay at malalim ang despair na di kayang itago (Aside from the fact that it’s new and a remake, everyone can now see the despair we acquired as a result of the pandemic, which we can no longer hide).” This is how Mica felt after listening to each track on the reimagined EP, according to her. She’s also grateful for the girls from The Bleaching Hour‘s faith in her art and ability to create the cover album.
So enjoy this masterpiece of pandemic induced melancholy and lofi pop. Make sure to stay tuned for The Bleaching Hour’s future releases, with one coming this April.
Stream the song now on YouTube, Spotify, or any other music platform of your choice!