Bombs Into You

To put it simply, Bombs Into You is like a jittery electronica extravaganza. The album features such semi-deconstructed beats and a generally whirring guitar-meets-synth combo that it’s kind of hard to listen to without some form of head bobbing and/or toe tapping. This is not a sit down and enjoy the music kind of CD. Bombs Into You is aiming to make you move.

This is made evidently clear from the get-go with “Stay The Best” which quickly bursts with a pulsing, buzzing beat, the aforementioned “whirring” effect, and some sneering vocals (especially on the chorus) that sound sort of like an angrier, less draggy Placebo. “So Lead” follows a similar route, opening with rolling drums and airy harmonies before twisting into stronger, once again biting vocals and some grungy guitar piled into the chorus. “Absence Does” offers a nice change of pace with some moodier, sadder sounding guitar and much prettier, softer vocals. The song does pick itself up near the end, bringing the tougher vocals and noisier music back in for a little while, but I personally wish both had been excluded in this case. “Absence Does” sports a vulnerable tone that most of the songs on the album are lacking that really pulled me in, and the additions at the end distracted from this.

So, it’s already been established that Bombs Into You has the kind of sound that might launch a dance party in your bedroom, but another very blatant quality to the album is its rawness. There’s something about a lot of the songs that sound…the opposite of the more smoothed down electronica you’ll hear. The edges here are right out in the open, and this causes a tense vibe through the album that might be enough to set Bombs Into You apart from their contemporaries in the genre. A shining example of this is “There’s Something Good Here, I Swear It”, the closest to a rock song that Bombs Into You comes, which features pounding drums, heavy guitar, and determined strong vocals which combine in a way that reminded me a little bit of a younger Incubus.

“Arrested To You” and “Move Me” stood out the most to me on the album. “Arrested To You” has a jerky guitar, pulsing beat, slightly softer-spoken vocals that eventually are layered in with some stronger harmonies that bring the song to a desperate, jarring climax. “Move Me” has a twisted electronic beat with guitar that, in comparison, is somewhat tragic sounding and hushed vocals before building up in the third verse to a stronger drum and more passionate vocals.

Bombs Into You merges raw, danceable beats and twittering electronica hints with edgy vocals, resulting in an album that shows a lot of potential. There are still some quirks that could use a little bit of working out, but they’re usually pretty small and are the sort that will fix themselves with time and experience. As a whole, the album is an easy, enjoyable listen; with just enough moodiness to show that the electronica wave isn’t all Bombs Into You is riding on. - Cassie Gressell 2007

- Cassie Gressell

Bombs Into You are, for want of a better analogy, what might happen if Nine Inch Nails met The Faint in a bar-fight: synth-heavy rock music with the darkest of undertones. The Oregon trio had slipped below my radar until very recently, when we got our hands on a review copy of the band’s latest EP, Metaphorically Yours (Volume 1).

Opening with a burst of shimmering synthesizers, “Slink” builds gradually into a digital anthem, vocalist Jared Jensen half-shouting a melodic chorus over slow-jam electronica. It’s infectious, and segues calmly into the slightly Interpol-esque “Hold the Line”.

Unfortunately, the guitar-led “My Machine”, isn’t as satisfying. While technically competent, it feels overproduced, waves of feedback almost completely drowning out the vocals. However, all is forgiven as it fades into the 8-bit-and-static intro of “All the Wrong Pills”, the record’s standout track. This is what Bombs Into You are all about: foot-stomping percussion and hypnotic synthesizers perfectly complementing Jensen’s punchy vocals.

Metaphorically Yours is very compelling to listen to, but it almost feels like it’s over too soon. The band have kindly made it available for free on their website, and it’s certainly worth a listen. But really, this is just an appetiser, warming us up for a BIY full-length. - Stereokill

Contemporary electronic music is less about creepy moaning and a series of long, drawn-out beeping noises and more about incorporating a beat — or, in the case of the Portland-based Bombs Into You, incorporating an indie rock synthesized beat.

A combination of electro savvy sounds on one track and raw, organic mixes and catchy chorus lines on another makes Bombs' fanbase reach far and wide. They aren't so computer nerdy that it turns off the rock crowd or so mainstream that indie fans can't relate.

Appreciative of their loyal fans, the band found a way to give back by launching The Remix Movement, which gave anyone an opportunity to download and remix the band's track "Move Me." Fans delved into their creative psyches and produced mixes that fused techno and pop with the original track, and the best mixes were posted on the band's website and will be on their new CD coming out this summer.

As good as it sounds blaring out of my laptop, Bombs Into You's music is best heard live. I picture them playing in a darkly lit club where everyone would be smoking (if Eugene didn't have that fabulous no smoking in bars law), and androgynous men and women would be standing around, understanding and appreciating in a way that someone like myself cannot the process it takes to create this raw, organic sound. - Deanna Uutela - Eugene Weekly

Does packaging matter? It's a question I've asked many times and have received a range of answers. In the era of digital downloads we seem to be rapidly losing interest in the craft of cover design. There was a time when DIY covers, handmade printed, cut and paste album art was treasured. True, there is a thriving underground movement to return to this practice, but why isn't this a more widely desired art form?

I understand the economic principle behind a label sending me a digital promo instead of a physical album. However, files on the computer can easily be forgotten. This past week I went to the PO Box and pulled out a few manila envelopes with plain white labels on them, but mixed in was an envelope that was painted black with splashes of blue and white. It definitely caught my eye, and it was the first package I opened. The mail art was courtesy of Portland's Bombs Into You, and the cd inside was also hand painted. Metaphorically Yours [Volume 1] is a five track collection of fine tuned electro-pop. It was as if The Killers actually cared again, and weren't so full of themselves. This trio did release the album for free digitally on their website, but the value and the passion contained with in this artistic package is worth the purchase. They are not yet available for sale on their site, but they hope to have them in their store. The band also has plans to release Vol. 2 this summer. - Orange Alert

Portland, Oregon's Bombs Into You present their latest EP as an absolutely free-of-charge download on their web site (see link above). And for snobby, difficult folks who don't review downloads (now who could that be?), they are courteous enough to provide numbered, limited edition EPs with snappy individualized handmade sleeves. These fellows play smart, moody, modern pop music with a heavy emphasis on danceable beats and odd heady electronics that bleed in and out of the mix. Only five tunes here...but they're all rather gripping and interesting. Our favorites are "Sink" and "Nearly." Cool sounding stuff. (Rating: 4+++++) - LMNOP

If that "Stuff White People Like" blog post about Caucasians preferring to stand still at concerts is a manifesto to you rather than satire, this is not your album. Much of Bombs Into You's debut EP, Metaphorically Yours (Vol. 1) - with Jared Jensen's keys and vocals, Gage Choat's guitars and keys, and Nate Jayne's drums - is an air raid on those lines of motionless concertgoers.

It starts off relatively slow, and the chiming guitar and pulsing bass drum on "Slink" sound like they could have been copped from an early U2 release. But after this gentle stadium-friendly opening, Bombs cranks up the tempo. And this album moves. The fast, buzzing, eighth note guitar figure on "Hold The Line" sounds like something from Sonic Youth's Rather Ripped album, and the gang vocals during the chorus bring a punk element to an already blazing track.

Bombs creates a hybrid of emo and electronic rock - a combo that could have gone a lot worse - and with Jensen at the mic, they give a reasonable picture of what it would sound like if Conor Oberst sang for TV on The Radio and added a lot of noise. Alternatively whispered and shouted, and almost constantly strained as if he's being choked, Jensen's vocals are not always easy on the ears, but they certainly fit with the angst in the words. "I'm over all of it, you flood the streets in red ... Hey you, bury me, bury me. We'll hold the line 'til you invade, 'til you invade," he yells at one point. What's he talking about? It doesn't seem to matter, but it's fun, and it's good enough for electro-rock. - Ryan Faughnder - Performer Magazine