Five years after the release of their excellent 2019 album Voyager, 311 returned from the longest gap in their discography with another strong set, Full Bloom. Their 14th overall LP, it was produced by Colin Brittain (the new Linkin Park drummer) and Scotch Ralston, who finesse the core 311 sound, as heard on tracks like the crunching, riff-packed "Youre Gonna Get It" and the radio-friendly earworm "Need Somebody." The feelgood title track rides an island vibe that transports listeners to a better place, cut through with 311s trademark buzzy guitars, while "Mountain Top" takes that hypnotic jam energy and sets it loose on an elastic bass burst. Even when the drums crash harder and the riffs get chunkier, like on "Persimmon" and "Braver," Full Bloom is good vibes only, an uplifting, life-affirming burst of positive energy that adds yet another boost to their late-era winning run. ~ Neil Z. Yeung
Rovi
昨年1月の来日公演も素晴らしかった彼らの5年ぶりとなった14枚目のアルバムは、いい意味で肩の力が抜けた作風である。ラップは控えめに、ニック・ヘクサムの歌に重きを置いたメロディアスな曲調が極上の心地良さを運んでくる。北風と太陽で言えば完全に太陽戦法で、温かな音色で聴き手の心を自然と開放してくれる曲ばかり。作品全体の空気感に酔いしれる一枚。
bounce (C)荒金良介
タワーレコード(vol.494(2025年1月25日発行号)掲載)