Mike Bloom returns with his soul laid bare on Scars, a six-track EP that distills heartbreak, reflection, and fragile resilience into intimate, wood-toned soundscapes. Known for his work with Jenny Lewis, Julian Casablancas, and Richard Edwards, Bloom steps away from the spotlight to deliver something quietly arresting. Recorded and produced in his Los Angeles studio, Hello Caveman, the EP centers on nylon-string guitar textures that feel warm and lived-in, weaving through songs that wrestle with memory, loss, and the need to heal. Beneath the calm surface, you will hear the intensity, what is called “the ferocity right underneath the surface” officially of Bloom.
It all begins with “Gaslight,” a slow burn that glows like a late-night streetlight flickering through fog. Bloom’s soft strumming pairs with restrained percussion as his low, yearning, and honest voice unfolds into a cinematic swirl of melody and melancholy. He sings, “Fill me up the gaslight / and see another day,” pushing forth self-awareness and surrender in one go. The harmonies hum like ghosts in the distance, like the pain that haunts still.
Later, “Nice Knowing Me” stumbles into the wreckage of heartbreak with weary grace. The jingly percussion and delicate plucking form a rhythm that comes almost conversational, like tapping a cigarette ash mid-regret. Bloom sings raw and unguarded, half lament, half acceptance, as he sighs, “Knowing you, well kid, it was nice.” It’s vulnerable yet dignified, a gentle nod to the pain of loving someone who’s already gone.
Finally, “Devastator” closes the EP in a hushed, poetic drift. Over glimmering guitars, Bloom sings like a man trying to find light in the aftermath, with his husky tone wearily giving you shelter. The track swells into a quiet storm, where sorrow meets surrender.
Scars, in all its subtlety, leaves a mark from a romantic still learning how to mend.
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Review by: Naomi Joan