much less a side project and much more a passion project. Both Bloom and Better Off are out of Nashville and both are fronted by Luke (obviously), so there is some overlap, yet it’s like each of them are confronting a similar problem, not only with different mindsets but also with different tools,

 

Bloom is, at its heart, really a musical duo with Luke singing and playing guitar, and Peter Wanca on drums. The bassist situation is fluid and they have had several collaborators. In fact, Luke and their home base of Nashville are the two main things they share. They aren't even on the same record label. And speaking of labels, Bloom's Broken Circles and I have yet to hear any artist from them that I don't like. In the same way that Criterion Collection films are always a good bet for enjoyment, so are the albums released by Broken Circles.

 

Compared to the music he makes with Better Off, the sound on Thousand Yard Stare is a slower, crisper instrumental paired with a slightly lower register vocals. It really highlights his beautiful voice, which often trails off into a whisper and leaves behind sounds that are often overlooked, like a finger sliding up and down an acoustic guitar's wire string. The quieter, more measured pace also really brings out the subtle nuances in Peter's drumming. In the softer tracks, I swear, I can hear a slight echo from the gentle, short throw of the sticks as they make their reverberating, diminished contacts on the drum heads. His grip tightens up on the couple faster paced tunes and the echo can really only be heard from the cymbals. It’s a really nice touch and it’s a sign of a talented drummer being aware he was given extra sonic space to control and experiment with. And speaking of space, the songs all capture the unique sound of a live show. Not a show in some loud bar or club, but as if you were in an old brick building with high ceilings and superb acoustics.

 

Once again, I've heard the word “emo” tossed about as a descriptive term. This is not “emo” or “scene” music because the emotions that are displayed in these songs feel deeper and truer than some mopey adult whining about his childhood. This is in the realm of good Morrissey, non heroin-addicted Elliot Smith, and certainly top shelf Iron and Wine music. The lyrics are contemplative and humble, not overwrought and shallow. For the most part, Luke's guitar is certainly a classic Fender with little to no distortion, except when used as punctuation in a few spots here and there. There are also a couple tracks where the tone gets even more gentle when he switches to an acoustic guitar.

 

There is one of the ten songs that has little resemblance to the others and that is the very first one, “2 AM Breakfast.” It's just shy of a single minute and has the background noise of a greasy spoon. A multilayer, re-sampled, and equalized voice then sings a quick little ditty that appears to be a harmonious drunken musing. It's nothing special in its own right, but serves admirably as the mood/tone setting for the other nine songs. In fact, the one that follows it, “Blue Valentine,” is easily my favorite song on the whole album. And that's saying quite a bit as there are no filler tracks at all, just gold nuggets for your ears. It starts with some of that nice and gentle drumming of Peter's and is then joined by a bare bones, bluesy guitar “scale” that has been used in various forms by musicians for decades. Think Chicago's “Color My World” or the Al Green cover of “How Do You Mend A Broken Heart” and you will know what I mean. Although, none of the instances I can think of are executed any better than this, and the soft sounds of an organ you can start to hear as the song winds down is just the cherry on top of the Sundae for me.

 

Now of the two songs that rely heavily on acoustic guitar, “Loser” is my favorite. The higher pitched keyboards in the background are made more noticeable by Luke deepening his voice ever so slightly. Plus, of all the songs, these lyrics just really grab you and won't let you go. The words accurately and deftly pass judgment on many if not all members of the last couple decades worth of 20 and 30 somethings. “Bored to death but too lazy to change things.” Damn. Luke's pen is most certainly mightier than the sword.

 

To me, the track with the most oomph and force behind it is the title track “Thousand Yard Stare.” It rushes out of the gate with power chords, more distortion, and a healthy helping of stinging cymbals and bass drum kick. The vocals remain equal to the task but when competing to the magnificent violence of the instruments, it takes on a dreamlike quality and it seems as if it is forced to stop for periods just due to the growing speed and intensity of the guitars. “Thousand Yard Stare” is the musical equivalent of a mismatched fist fight and I love it. On the flip side of that coin is “Yet.” “Yet” also has a good dose of acoustic guitar and in this case the round has to go to the singing. No matter how fast or intense the instruments get, Luke consistently fights them off, culminating in a final duel in the final 30 seconds, which although his voice clearly overpowers the drums and guitars, he leaves them to wind down the very end of the track.

 

Thousand Yard Stare is the absolute perfect soundtrack to your inner thoughts if you are mentally bogged down with tough decisions, regrets, or a wistful desire to relive earlier times. This is also absolutely perfect night time music, domestic beer drinking music, playing through an old stereo music, or just sitting around and reminiscing about the past with your friends music. I recommend listening to the songs in order because otherwise you risk having “2AM Breakfast” pop up halfway through and messing up the vibe. However that won't be an issue for folks picking this up on vinyl when it's released.