Review | BRONCHO – Natural Pleasure

By Millie Throp

By chance or by fate, the sun beams in as I venture track-by-track through BRONCHO’s latest album. Headphones on, I’m convinced it’s the latter. 

Formed by four Oklahoma natives, specifically of Tulsa on the Arkansas River, the band’s new 12-track LP breaks the silence of their recent six year hiatus, bringing fans on YouTube doting that “[their] hazy summer college days are back!”.

Decidedly psych-pop in places, the aural aromas laid down by BRONCHO’s new release show an evolution from their prior recordings. Fronted once more by the high-frequency pipes of Ryan Lindsey, ‘Natural Pleasure‘ offers a wispy dreamscape set apart from the foursome’s signature all-American grit. Yet, irrespective of prior fanship, the record feels nostalgic on the senses.

To that end, the inaugural track, ‘Imagination‘, sets a blissful pace common throughout. Seemingly pausing for each listener’s inevitable exhale, its lyrics arise with contemplation as its melody echoes a lightness to savor, with riffs and hums made to beckon one to the water’s edge.

Further down the track list, the suitably titled ‘Cool‘ gains an edge with a steady bassline and modest drum beat, complemented as ever by the lyricist’s buttery vocals. 

‘Get Gone’ then follows, entrancing yet effortless. The tune offers a sensical tap-in for summer playlists, possibly mirroring the same ‘it’ status as the band’s 2014 hit, ‘Class Historian’.

Another standout is ‘You Got Me’. Leaning seamlessly into the Baroque-pop soundboard, the tune feels a suitable backing to the open-roads and prairie grassland in which the group formed back in 2010. With vocals that purr harmoniously through synth, it’s sentimental to say the least. 

As the album continues, ‘Think I Pass‘ carries a sense of yearning that’s often embraced amidst the indie scene. Chiming hope and resolve in the string of chords that permeate its chorus, the song ushers pleasing, seasonal reverie with open arms and eyes to the sky.

Signed off aptly with ‘Dreamin‘, the LP closes as softly as it embarks. ‘Natural Pleasure‘ is the dose of floaty goodness its devotees have been craving, but it will no doubt usher a new generation of listeners too. Once more, BRONCHO invites us to hear feelingly. Here’s hoping it’s not six years until the next.