Another Bulb Burned Out - Bedroom Ceilings (Album Review)

Since 2017, Bedroom Ceilings has been a group centered around the indie rock sounds crafted by Dean Chittenden and Ben Steer. With this new release, Another Bulb Burned Out, there are many new elements at play for the project. The concept for this record focuses on the “listener twiddling with their radio dial, flipping through channels, wondering why experiences pass by so quickly.” Part of this collaboration comes from his relationships with the crew at La Luna Recording & Sound, where the engineering team has the previous experience of working with him. Another key component is the ever expanding arsenal of performing artists at Dean and Ben’s disposal, who all have strong voices on their respective, contributing instruments. The culmination of these efforts over two years has resulted in this wonderful album, a group effort around an interesting, layered narrative for a concept album. Part of this review will be personal thoughts around the songs, but I will also intersperse Dean’s own words on the project.

First of all, the sound on this album is described as “genre fluid,” keeping things open to different sounds and sonorities in the instrumentation and song structures around the lyrics. They describe the sound as strongly influenced by artists like Bright Eyes, Margot & The Nuclear So And So’s, and King Krule while also including a broader range of instruments than previous albums with grand piano, upright bass, trumpet, flugelhorn, and lap steel. When I read this, I think of the sounds from these artists expressed within the Bedroom Ceilings project while also enhancing their writing textures through the expanded ensemble. Already, we have an interesting concept that could have simply been the sole focus of the session, and to have a narrative thread makes the organization that much stronger within the finished product.

Dean describes the main character as “stuck in a difficult mental state, and feels undeserving of success. Life has deceived him by making him believe that happiness is a deus ex machina.” So throughout, there are moments detailing depression where happiness is this last minute interjection, seemingly unavailable until the last possible second. The record starts off with “Spotlight Station,” a patchwork of audio recordings with a piano track playing underneath that sounds like someone cycling through conversations and life moments on a radio. It then moves into “Well-Designed Robot,” which sounds at first like a demo where the songwriting is walking the band through the song with little interjections from the other band members.  It then moves to the full band, introducing the first concept of “failure and frustration in the lyrics ‘another bulb burned out, the light escaped as quick as that second.’” The shifting tempos almost sounds like the main character snapping into feigned happiness, a function that has been hardwired into how he presents himself in spite of the underlying emotions.  Then, with the tune “Grace is Articulate” we hear Jake Kalmink on lap steal as Dean tells the story of a simpler time in childhood, where his grey world was colored by Grace’s imaginative drawings. The first released single from the record, “Spring Grass,” shows that “our character begins to make positive changes and break the cycle, no matter how dejected and depressed he might feel.” The emotional state of the protagonist is further emphasized in the track “Journal: A Dream,” where the pairing of vivid imagery in nature also parallels his emotional states (i.e snowflakes taste like freedom, blood moon push and pull the tides my heart mimics the motion).

There is a shift in the narrative on the track “Time Traveler,” as “he is bitter about the mold that society imposes, but has finally achieved control of his life - and now wishes to share it with others.” The lyrics in this tune have the vivid imagery of how confusing it must feel to travel from the past to now and see tiny screens dictating our interactions, emotions, and chunks of our culture. Through hard work, seeking love and humanity in his surroundings, the main character’s triumph is felt in “Clairvoyance is Never Simple,” describing the stark contrasts between his own ability to feel love and value within himself while trying to extend that self-love to someone else who still sees themself as a “seashell” while surrounding by a beautiful beach. Then, there is acceptance and peace found in the “Une Sortie D’urgence,” understanding that it’s easier for some to embrace the cold, unfeeling nature as “it’s safety in my fingertips,” and “he concedes that the struggle for balance and intimacy will last a lifetime.” (Bedroom Ceilings Bandcamp Page)

This album was a surprise to me beyond the simple fact that I don’t typically know what I get when presented with the “Indie” music labeling. As someone who dabbles in writing in a “genre-fluid” style, there are definitely less restrictions on how things should sound or songs should be structured. Still, there is a cohesion between the compositions that are shaped by the narrative, a poetic web of emotional states and relatable circumstances. It’s no wonder why tracks like “Clairvoyance is Never Simple” or “Spring Grass” already have over 15,000 Spotify plays, because there is a clear emphasis on humanity and how we all have our different, yet shared experiences.  It’s a personal journey for many, and Dean does a great job examining his own life and how he can distill it into something impactful.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bedroomceilings
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bedroomceilings/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bedroomceilings
Bandcamp: https://bedroomceilings.bandcamp.com/album/another-bulb-burned-out
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0OmooGfDBBU2Gj3QqCeoiX

Album Credits:
Alex Tobin - Lead engineer/ Producer
Nick Pasquino - Co-engineer/ Uncle Franc
Ian Gorman at La Luna Recording & Sound - Mastering/ Venue

Alec Klinefelter (Patty PerShayla & The Mayhaps) - Drums/ Percussion/ Group vocals
Eric John Boyea (Funkle Jesse) - Lead guitar/ Tear-jerking solos
Koty Schoenberg (Conrad Shock + The Noise) - Bass on "Journal Entry: A Dream"
Jake Kalmink (Further Closer, The Stooge) - Wailing Lap steel on the softies
Drew Mayhew - Upright Bass on the softies
Brandino Proch (The Brandino Extravaganza) - Drums on "Journal Entry, Clairvoyance"
Sam Kenny (Emma Loo & Sam) - Trumpet/ Flugelhorn on "Spring Grass"/ Best attitude
Maggie Heeren - Co-engineer/ Harmonies on "Grace is Articulate"