"Something Strange Happened Here (Reimagined)" EP by The Bleaching Hour

The Bleaching Hour's Something Strange Happened Here reimagined EP will undoubtedly bring you back to the slow melancholy days that the early pandemic and lockdowns have left lingering in our memories.

Four-piece lofi pop band The Bleaching Hour release a reimagined version of their Something strange happened here EP on today, blending their original arrangements with yet more electro pop tunes and their trademark lo-fi sound.  The EP highlights the difficulties of being a young person during the first phase of the pandemic and draws on the work of artists that influence the band such as The 1975, FUR, and Lana Del Rey.

The EP consists of four tracks: September, Thank God For These Brains!, At Least I...., and the carrier single Stars. The EP, originally released through The Bleaching Hour's Bandcamp, will now be available to stream on YouTube, Spotify, or any other music platform of your choice!  About the experience of producing the EP, the girls mentioned that they prefer to develop the tunes first before coming up with the lyrics, which is an incredible feat considering the pandemic and not being able to meet up. Their enthusiasm and passion for what they do is evident in the fact that they managed to make things work. 

We all know how difficult it was when the pandemic began, and looking back, no one could have predicted how it would unfold, and this EP really resonates with that phase.  It clearly shows in one of the lines of their carrier single Star.

“And I cross my heart, I'll repeat I wanna die
Everything shatters right before my eyes
I wake up everyday just to lay in bed all day
What's stuck in my head are those lines”
 

It was the girls of The Bleaching Hour’s way of coping up with the whole situation - using their music and art to produce a masterpiece. Even reflected through their cover art, which was created by Mica Wu, as it is a darker version of the previous EP’s album art, symbolizing the difference between the two materials.

When asked about their inspiration and who they are trying to reach, they respond, “no one in particular really but we wanted to reach people who feel the same things: misery and complacency.” 

So enjoy this masterpiece of pandemic induced melancholy and lofi pop. Make sure to stay tuned for The Bleaching Hour’s future releases, with one coming this April. 

This version of the EP gives listeners another option for consuming this EP - the original release can still be found under music from their The Esthers catalogue. While that version has a more grim sound to it, the change in name coincides with the change in tune to a more upbeat and pop sound while still retaining the haunting vocals and lo-fi preparation. What I can't wrap my head around is the need to have another release of this EP when it's already available in Bandcamp since last year. I am more looking forward to new music from the band in the near future.

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