Bruise - "Little Victories"

Review by Mac MacLaren, Editor, Lemonrock Gig Guide, January 2011.

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Bruise - an iconic, quirky duo with lasting pop appeal, do, perhaps, what it says on the, er, CD case.

Let me explain. On hearing the first track, "Emilie", you are suddenly struck - not with anything physical - but by sounds, ideas, words, that leave a lasting mark. After the first listen, you may find yourself observing the mark, and remembering how you got it. But unlike a physical bruise, this one may not fade. Instead you'll want to re-immerse yourself, and you will be rewarded not by pain, but by pleasure - feelings of recognition, safety, belonging. Bruise songs can do this because they are exceptional songs. "Emilie" takes an innocent chord progression and weaves in a moving backdrop of instantly pleasing melodies and musical textures, and it's done with skill, flair, and astonishing energy.

Tonally, Isobel Morris is vaguely reminiscent of Natalie Marchant (10,000 Maniacs), Annie Lennox, or a turbo-charged Heidi Berry perhaps... but is instantly recognisable as the voice of Bruise: gentle, tremeloed, compelling, breathy, vital.

Track 2, "The Prize", has me shaking my head, again. I know this song so well, but I have only heard it twice. Sparsely arranged, packed with words that trip you up with their phrasing, it's another example of understated production, allowing the song to reach out and jostle you with a big wink.

"Jennifer", a bitter warning to both parties involved in a flirtation assault, has a great vocal harmony hook, and perfect measures of synth sounds and sequenced riffs. By now, you will have realised that there's no fat on these bones - just layer upon layer of musical goodness.

"The Northern Line" shows how a song can be so melodically simple and yet so effective - a breezily paced, multi-harmonied, chugging pop gem.

"Little Victories", starting with nothing more than a guitar and a shakey-egg, reminds us of Isobel's ability to shape words into imploring phrases packed with imagery; I see the couple in the story, holding hands - probably on a packed tube carriage on the Northern Line - silently hating and loving each other while they peek a glimpse of someone's Metro journal. These songs stick in your mind.

"Three Ravens", the only non-original track, is a haunting production that fuses folk with rock and electronica, suggesting that Jim Kimberley's production ideas know no bounds.

Bruise songs are not pure pop: the jangly, alt-tuned guitars and discordant vocal harmonies veer some songs off towards the jazz sphere, but Jim's multi-tasking mixing techniques also make you ask yourself at times: "is this dance music, or alt-emo, or grunge?"

Like me, you shouldn't worry about categorisation, but allow yourself the luxury of an hour in which you can indulge in some of the most original, melodic, accessible and engaging modern music you're likely to hear this year. Highly recommended listening.