Jeremy Irons and The Ratgang Malibus - Bloom (2013)

Jeremy Irons & The Ratgang Malibus come all the way from Eskilstuna, Sweden and Bloom is their second release. What this quartet sucessfully does is blend hard rock and psychedelia with a bit of progginess here and there. Bloom is their second album released on Transubstans Records, preceded by Elephanta which was released in 2007.

JI&TRM employ 60′s/70′s psyche grooviness threaded through a singer/songwriter pattern in the vein of Jeff Buckley. The spirit of this American musician wanders through this 50 minute album. If nothing else, you would agree that the vocal style of Karl Apelmo is reminiscent of Buckley’s, who is certainly one of the best vocalists, in my opinion. The Ratgang Malibus’ psychedelia is rather more simplistic.

Calling for Buckley’s spirit in the opening Elefanta starts the pilgrimage to a reverse time vertigo. Throughout the album’s flow, Jeremy Irons together with the Ratgang Malibus make constant turnouts heading back from Buckley’s trippy vortex to Zeppelin worship in the closing track, Fernando. Meanwhile, numbers like Skin Deep, Cosmo Tropic and IAOA revoke the bluesy hard rocking vibe, while Tales of the Future is setting the pace in the most straightforward sort of way. Golden Hours, together with the title track is another paying tribute to Jeff Buckley’s amazing work.