Aiming to create the perfect complimenting second part to their debut album’s distinct appeal and charm in the wake of the 10th anniversary of their bands inception; the Camden-born, LA-based rock duo Bones UK, have finally returned to the airwaves after several years of intense speculation surrounding their plan of attack for breaking through the sophomore slump with their latest album Soft. In happily reminiscing Bones UK’s self-titled era, expectations of this latest addition to their discography have been at an all time high, post teasing several non-album singles throughout the early 2020s including the likes of ‘Boys Will Be Girls’, ‘MILK’ and ‘Cheap Love’.
However, upon sampling Soft for the first time, a clear sense of utter disappointment seems inevitable, as a cacophony of masterful contributions by lead guitarist Carmen Vanderberg, were drowned out by a repetitive over/under dithering distorted production value, phoned in vocal stylings by Rosie Bones, besides poorly constructed songwriting efforts, which even made their array of self-love odes come off as ill conceived and depressingly hollow. Although dedicated to charging ahead with a “fuck you”-esque sentiment in the face of the constricting status quo, it would seem that in throwing caution to the wind, Bones UK have also thrown away key elements of their original success, including their authentic rebellious sound, their spirit and their impressively connective songwriting abilities.
The only hint of a saving grace, comes in the form of the albums concluding track ‘What If I Died?’, which is the only song on the album which shares any semblance of their debut’s vulnerable allurement. With its ominous atmosphere, cradling a tender ruminatory Sophie’s Choice and questioning the meaning of life, it does capture the essence of a poignancy chaser’s critical thought processes. Although it is a good track, it doesn’t totally replicate their previous prowess in this area of songwriting; while the state of our existence seemed to be Bones UK’s top priority for this track, it begs the question why it took the entire album’s worth of subpar attempts at anthemic dominance to reach one of the main reasons Bones UK became a beloved fixture in the UK alt rock scene. They’ve have always been at their best when pumping out sonic equivalents of fragility, especially with such tracks as ‘Black Blood’ & ‘Soul’ off of their debut. Their crossover harder edged bluesy take on alt rock is what got them a GRAMMY nod in the first place, and yet SOFT is utterly bereft of such connection.
This latest album represents Bones UK’s not-so-soft launch into the spontaneous combustion of their most treasured blessing – the expert handling of their talent, all the while, regrettably retaining an overinflated sense of self-absorption. Given the quality of the earlier work, it’s surprising for Soft to miss the mark quite so completely. Maybe it’s time for this once promising trio to exhume their past glorious creations in order to breathe new life into their inspirations post-death of this discombobulated, tiresome and truly underwhelming era. It’s a really hard sell to convince listeners that Soft is a positive step in their overarching musical progression, with little to none of their fiercely defiant determination and fascination to keep the attention of an ever detached community of outcasts.