Sydney based Bloom have already easily won us over with their brand of melodic hardcore via their debut EP Past Tense. Today we have the absolute pleasure of premiering the music video for “Home Felt Better With You”.
An emotional face-slap of a confrontation between lovers is where the track begins, setting the tone and establishing the story for the whole of the EP:
‘Can’t you accept?’ she said.
‘Can’t you see I’m gone?
I don’t love you anymore.’
Coupled with the anguished vocals of Jono Hawkey, “Home Felt Better With You” is a dense and dark place for Past Tense to begin. Progressing more frantically after its stuttered introduction, with Jack Van Vliet’s drums setting an impossible pace, it’s easy to fall into the shoes of someone trying to grab on to something that’s quickly vanishing.
Bloom are creating from their personal hurt: They’ve watched a lover walk away. They’ve heard them say “I don’t love you anymore”, and they’ve felt that internal sense of urgency in wanting to do something, while simultaneously not being able to change what’s happening. Listening to Past Tense in its entirety continues this sharing of the emotional fallout at being left alone and heartbroken.
Bloom’s guitarist Jarod McLaren shared that it was seeing Watchtowers‘ “Hurt The Ones We Love” music video that inspired them to reach out to Billy Zammit, who produced and directed the new video. Never having worked with him before, they appreciated the emotionally dark vibe of the Watchtowers’ video that Billy had created, and felt that the style he’d created would be similarly fitting for “Home Felt Better With You”.
Visually, it’s an incredible capture of a difficult moment in time. Black and white and the viewer literally thrust face-to-face with emotional desperation, it is an impactful slice of impressive melodic hardcore. Shadowed and blurred at times, with Jono visibly wrestling within himself, it’s an unmistakable representation of loss that is easy to empathise with.
With “Tell me what’s the point??” searing our ears and anguished guitar tugging emotively at the listener, the gradual departure of instruments just adds even more impact to the fact that we are musically existing in the aftermath of being left by a loved one.
Watch “Home Felt Better With You” now, and be sure to share with appreciators of good melodic hardcore!
