After becoming a fan of The Home Team following their 2018 release “Better Off,” I was interested to hear how their sound has evolved over the past 3 years. Just by looking at the cover art, I knew that us listeners were in for a real treat when diving into this record, and all I can say- The Home Team did not disappoint.

When moving to talk about this album, I have to admit, it is a bit tough. The band does such a fantastic job on creating and producing a cohesive and innovative record by blurring the lines of several musical genres. The cohesive nod resonates with their foundation sound rooting in Alternative-Rock, which is present primarily through how they use their instrumentation and orchestration.

However, there are times that the artists utilizes wind instruments, electronics, and sound effects to add to their overall sound. This is when I found myself questioning- which genre would I put this in? I know that isn’t that big of a deal, but it kept my musical mind running as the band would weave in and out of different genres- capitalizing on all of the catchy methods along the way. I enjoyed the amount of time the instrumentalists had to shine throughout this record.

Although there is a clear melody at the forefront of each selection- primarily in the lyrical line, it also felt as if the instrumental part was just as important. This polyphonic approach helped to nurture the blurred genre environment. To some, this may seem like a lot, but it honestly just sounds really cool.

A lot of the music found on the album is quite simple; however, as the band layers the different instrumental lines to create their orchestration, it ends up sounding innovative and musically difficult. That is such an intelligent approach to music that has a very high risk factor, but here? It works. The biggest takeaway from this album, for me, is that the band explored a variety of different grooves and catchy melodic lines that are passed back and forth throughout each track to keep the listener looking for more. Most tracks feel very funky, which works with the overall vibe that the band establishes throughout their album. The record is versatile and will likely appeal to a spectrum of listeners.

Like I mentioned at the beginning of this review, this album glosses over just about every musical genre, which makes it hard to pick apart. To truly get the feel of this work- you’ll have to experience it yourself!

I am giving this record a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

*”Slow Bloom” was released on October 22nd, 2021 through Revival Records.