Having performed under different monikers and with various ensembles, Bloom de Wilde is an artist who has devoted a lifetime to her craft, following the muse wherever it may go. The word visionary is over used in rock criticism, but when it comes to Bloom de Wilde no other word will suffice and the releases left in her wake exist outside our own time frame. However, latest album The Circular Being brings her musical journey full-circle, simultaneously tying up loose ends whilst looking to the future.

Attesting to a sense of urgency and a renewed vigour, opening track ‘Clown’s Ride On A Kangaroo’ appears with little warning, and is all the more impactful for it. Throughout her career much has been made of Bloom de Wilde’s vocal gymnastics, and just a cursory perusal of this track makes it patently clear why; it’s a voice that has all the range of a musical instrument and it wends it’s way through the poly rhythms found on ‘Clown’s Ride On A Kangaroo’ effortlessly. Yet, like the best instrumentalist, Bloom de Wilde understands very well that sometimes it is not what you play but what you don’t. Music is often about leaving space for the listener to infer meaning and this makes for a more collaborative experience and The Circular Being affords plenty of opportunity for interaction. Despite its often low-key approach, this is not an album that you passively consume, rather its insidious beats and rhythms slowly ingratiate themselves into your physiology and become part of your being.

Much of The Circular Being exists in that magical moment somewhere between wake and sleep, it’s an instant where things are often foggy and crystal clear, where we get a glimpse of another world and that’s exactly where tracks such as ‘Ebb And Flow’ operate. It is ethereal and otherworldly, yet it also has a strong sense of perception, it’s an interesting dichotomy and one that hypnotises the listener and holds their rapt attention. Bloom de Wilde has synesthesia; and the blurring of the senses are very much in evidence here. The evocation of strong mental images through music is a rare gift that only a select musicians have, but it is something that Bloom owns and the kaleidoscopic nature of ‘Winter Is Full’ is undeniable and will fill your mind’s eye with swirling images.

A long overdue album from Bloom de Wile, but one that was certainly worth the wait.

• The Circular Being is released on 18th October 2024.
• Official Website

Track List:

1. Clown’s Ride On A Kangaroo
2. Ride With The Fishes
3. Paper Boat
4. Gloomy Day
5. Be Patient
6. Dwindi
7. Stop The World
8. Ebb And Flow
9. Two Paths
10. Winter Is Full
11. I Need A Planet