“Bleachers” - Bleachers Album Review

Bleachers is so back with their new album “Bleachers,” a very original title.

The indie alternative band has released their first album since their last two albums which were both released in 2021.

“Bleachers” main vibe falls in line with their regular late 80s early 90s sound.

Their sound is not for everyone, but even so, it is notably vibey and allows listeners to live out their main character dreams.

“Modern Girl” is distantly Bleachers' version of Madonna’s “Material Girl,” sort of.

A stand-out lyric from this song is “and all the modern girls Shakin' their ass tonight.” Objectifying to modern girls? Maybe, but who is to say?

Jack Antonoff, the lead singer of the band, writes songs with Taylor Swift. This means that he is a certified Swifty and is most definitely for the girls, how could he possibly objectify a woman?

The third track on the album, “Jesus Is Dead” dives into the idea of time-changing and resisting societal norms and expectations.

This entire album features religious undertones that may or may not be delivered or received well.

The line “Jesus Is Dead” probably will not sit well with all listeners, however, the song is still very introspective and interesting.

“Alma Mater” is one of the slower tracks on the album.

This song features the iconicness that is rhyming Balenciaga with Wawa, a word association not many could pull off.

One of the greatest and most notable songs on the album is “Isimo.” It expresses the theme of growing up and expecting change and hardship.

Honestly, this song gives tunnel song. If you don’t know what that means, culture yourself, and watch “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.”

You may think it is impossible to mention the death of Kobe Bryant and Kendall Jenner’s controversial 2017 Pepsi commercial in the same song, yet Bleachers manages to do it.

The song “Self Respect” manages to tie in both of these tabu topics and still produce a captivating song.

“I think it was the day that Kobe fell from the sky Or the day that Kendall Pepsi-smiled Or the day that I had held her last”. Truly an unbeatable stand-alone lyric.

“Call Me After Midnight” is the catchiest song on the album.

It fits in well with the band’s sound as a whole but lyrically is not as unique as some of their other songs.

The theme of this song is one that has been articulated many times. Big Time Rush has a similar song called “Weekends” and both are basically about being a booty call. Probably safe to assume Antonoff did not rip off Big Time Rush though.

“The Waiter” has a very artificial sound which is not super out of character for this band, but may sound more autotune than other tracks.

All in all, this album fits in well with the band's discography. The topics are out there for music as a whole, but not for Bleachers.

“Bleachers” is probably not everyone’s cup of tea, but it is definitely better than Kendall’s Pepsi commercial.

Rating: 6/10

Reviewer's favorite songs: “Isimo,” “Call Me After Midnight”

Reviewer's least favorite songs: “Jesus Is Dead”

Savannah Swartz is a third-year majoring in communications. To contact her, email sms9072@psu.edu.