(Photo Credit - Tonje Thilesen)
Advance Review - Bachelor: Doomin' Sun (May 28, 2021)
Bachelor is the new project from Jay Som (Melina Duterte) and Palehound (Ellen Kempner). Duterte and Kempner note that Bachelor is not a band, but is rather a friendship. Having both admired one another's music from afar, they were anxious to finally meet and when they did they hit it off. In 2018, they began writing and in 2020 they packed recording equipment into two cards and headed to Topanga, California where they wrote and recorded the subject of this review, the album Doomin' Sun.
Doomin' Sun is chock full of emotion, particularly around the themes of queerness and climate change. The duo also masterfully tackle societal pressure on expectations of beauty in the opening track "Back Of My Hand" with the lyrics: “You date the beauty queens/ I see their bodies in magazines/ Sharp jaw size 0 jeans/ I skip a meal/ I drink some tea.”
What's clear is that Duterte and Kempner didn't come to play as evidenced by their banger "Stay in the Car", with its ripping guitar work. The duo also aren't afraid to slow it down with tracks like the methodically placed acoustic infused "Sick of Spiraling". For fans of Jay Som and Palehound this album is an obvious winner. For those that may not be familiar with one of the two or not familiar with either, it's just a great example of a modern super duo. Doomin' Sun is definitely worth your time and money.
Rating - 5/5