“I forgot somehow I can’t do it without you.”
As a project, Charly Bliss has been one of strides, whether that be sonically or in time, with each iteration of their being different to the last. Placing the change from Guppy, to Young Enough, and now Forever sees Charly Bliss cover different sounds and perspectives that come with age. Their debut Guppy navigated the joys of learning the world in your twenties, followed by a maturing on Young Enough that has now then resulted in the sense of freedom that evoked in Forever. It also sees the group channel pop stylings more than ever before, making for a return that will capture the ear of each listener.
As Forever blasts open with “Tragic” and “Calling You Out“, the hooks are plenty, in an almost Carly Rae Jepsen style. Channelling the same late 00s mannerisms, it balances with the more modern indie influences that Charly Bliss have refined throughout their time as a group. Whether it’s the neat guitar strums that pluck away or the amplification of the drum toms to add texture to the track. “Back There Now” continues, in the plucky manner, as the synths and grooves bounce around the track, an almost near-perfect Radio Mirror Park inclusion.
It’s here where Forever delves into the ballads, starting with “Ninteen“. It’s a lovesick song that brings in the brass later on and sees Hendricks display their vocal capacity. It’s a closer-worthy song which does does lead to some pondering as to why something so heartfelt is placed early on. The slower paced tracks are plenty present on Forever; “In Your Bed“, “I’m Not Dead“, “Here Comes The Darkness” and “Easy To Love You” all see the acoustic guitar cracked out or the sound drawn back. It does make Forever at times feel stop-start with the energy of one track not able to transfer to the next.
When Charly Bliss do hit the highs of their synth and riff packed tracks, it does hit a spot that not much else has done recently. The likes of “How Do You Do It” feel reminiscent of work from When The World Comes Down by The All-American Rejects. They’ve learnt how to do catchiness to a ‘T‘ on tracks like “Waiting For You” and notably on “Last First Kiss“, with the saxophone kicking in to elevate the track. This tops off a record that indulges deeply in romantic tropes and sweetness; perhaps some will find this too sickly.
What Charly Bliss have done is piece together their well-known indie sound with pop sounds of the past decade. It makes for tracks that in isolation are earworms, yet in the wider perspective of Forever, there is perhaps a little too much crossover in the louder pop tracks and slower ballads that can become indistinguishable. That does of course mean there is much to enjoy on Forever, and with Hendricks unique vocals, does make for a noteworthy listen as always, it does feel like it will take more than one iteration for Charly Bliss to truly become accustomed with this new direction.
7/10
Forever is out August 16th via Lucky Number Music, and can be pre-ordered here.