The Pleasure Dome has proved their importance within the independent alternative music scene as they have performed alongside modern icons DITZ, CLT DRP and Heavy Lungs, playing sold-out European headliners and festivals as well as gaining radio traction. Since their last release, The Pleasure Dome have endeavoured some big changes within their lives, including a lineup change, recruiting Loz Fancourt on bass and Harry Flowers on drums, as well as their original vocalist Bobby Spender dealing with some hardship in his personal life. Spender has been very vocal about his recent relationship struggles and couldn’t wait for another album cycle to showcase his raw, emotional songwriting about these struggles. It may seem like a short touring lifetime for the trio’s debut album, Equinox, only released in September 2023, but the band have carefully crafted a 6 song EP to be released through the independent label Hound Gawd! Records.
Liminal Space begins with an instrumental intro and then lead single, ‘The Old Duke Part I’ and ‘The Old Duke Part II’. The band sets the scene perfectly by using simple arpeggiated chords alongside samples. The listeners are sat at the bar where Spender works and spends the majority of his time when not touring or songwriting with the band. Part I transitions seamlessly into Part II where it’s obvious that the vocals take the forefront of storytelling.
“The Pleasure Dome have endeavoured some big changes within their lives.”
‘Your Fucking Smile’ creates a clear contrast between the last song. It feels incredibly easy with its use of chromaticism in the vocal melody, tri-tone dissonance and 210 bpm tempo. Spender discusses the relationship in which he was made to feel worthless and unimportant however rose tinted glasses restricted him from realising this. The song is a pure release of his emotions and the pain that he is feeling. ‘Sugar’ then embraces a different influence to what listeners may expect from a The Pleasure Dome track. The simple melody and lyrics sit on a blues-based instrumentation and is a relaxing midpoint to the EP after the chaos of ‘Your Fucking Smile’.
The Pleasure Dome return to their signature style with ‘A Shoulder to Cry On’ with fast-paced repetitive bass lines and guitar riffs. The chorus line may seem rather repetitive but it will no doubt get live audiences engaged and participating. The final track on this diverse EP is ‘Suicide’ which is a slower, more raw telling of Spender’s struggles with mental health. It seems like a promise to his broken relationship that although there is a lot of pain with the circumstances, there is a reach out of balance of still supporting someone he once loved.
This EP is truly a compilation of storytelling of vocalist Bobby Spender’s life since the band’s success. It draws from many different influences and balances lows and highs with dynamic genre changes. However, Liminal Spaces still feels like a cohesive piece of work by The Pleasure Dome.