by Jason Warburg, The Daily Vault
http://www.dailyvault.com

Here we go again. Halfway through the slush pile, tossing 'em aside
like pancakes at a Little League fundraiser, and allofasudden whoooaaa
Nellie. Hang on, we got us a keeper.

Peter Bloom is a singer-songwriter who learned all the right lessons
from John, George, Ringo and especially Paul - not to mention Elton
John and John (Five For Fighting) Ondrasik. This is simply gorgeous
piano/orchestral-based pop, carried to the next level by Bloom's
insightful lyrics and full-bodied melodic sensibilities.

"Let It Go" is a knockout opener, a mid-tempo plea for resolution
whose jangly guitar, thrumming organ and keening string accents help
Bloom build to a soaring, affecting climax that sums up everything a
good ballad should be.

The orchestral flourishes that open and color the fringes of "Walls"
could have been lifted from Revolver, but weren't; these are original
confections using familiar musical parts, every bit as refreshing-yet-
familiar as anything fellow Beatlemaniacs like the Redwalls or
Fastball have produced.

Not that everything here is that derivative; "Careful" has more of an
alt-rock sound, with a stronger guitar line and vocals that remind a
bit of Mr. retro-alt-brilliance himself, Brendan Benson. "Afraid"
mixes love and politics cleverly, reminding that decisions made from
fear are rarely good ones. And "Haven't Hit The Floor Yet" ditches the
piano for acoustic guitar and strings as Bloom plumbs and conquers the
depths of despair.

Every song on this disc is solid and smartly crafted, multi-part
harmonies (all sung by Bloom) meshing beautifully with appealing
arrangements. Further highlights along the way include the rousing
gospel-blues thumper "Helping Hand," the rather Queen-flavored ballad
"Please," and the magnificent, sing-along-inspiring "A Little More
Love," in which Bloom twists Bono lyrics into new shapes ("our hearts
bleed as one") while channeling McCartney's vocals from "Hey Jude."

The punchline here comes in the form of Bloom's one-sheet, which
narrates musical tribulations of Dickensian proportions. Starting out
in the 90s as the singer/drummer for Montreal alt-rock band The
Elementals, Bloom hung in through that group's metamorphosis into the
more traditionalist (and more successful) rock band Furious Styles,
even as he battled serious health issues. What's the worst possible
thing that could happen to a singer? Bloom developed a chronic voice
disorder (muscle tension dysphoria, or MTD) which prevented him from
singing for any significant length of time. As his condition worsened,
Bloom sank into a severe depression, eventually losing almost all the
hair on his head, face and body.

After a move to Toronto and a career change to radio and voice-over
work, Bloom eventually found a voice therapist who was able to help
him recover his voice, and with it, his confidence. It's a tale that
might lead you to anticipate overwrought, over-precious and/or
oversold music when you put this disc in, but none of those adjectives
apply. Bloom has his feet planted firmly on the ground and the only
tool he needs to impress here is pure musical talent, gloriously
unleashed at last.

Random Thoughts (from a paralyzed mind) is a winning combination of
classic pop-rock craftsmanship and genuine, heartfelt performance.
Highly recommended.

Rating: A-

http://www.peterbloomband.com
http://www.myspace.com/peterbloommusic