Before even pressing play, I expected this album to be quite different from Broadside’s previous albums. Hotel Bleu is their fourth full length album and to see how far this band has come in just four albums is mindblowing. I’ve been listening to Broadside for quite a while and over the last year or two, it seems they’ve really grown into something special. I watched their sound evolve as their singles “One Last Time”, “Bang (ft. Josh Roberts)”, “Cruel (ft. Brian Butcher) and “Lucid (ft. Devin Papadol) were released and they are all a perfect lead up to Hotel Bleu. So let’s check in…
Stranger
As the first track, there couldn’t have been a better start to this album. It’s heavier than I thought it would be which goes great alongside the heavy theme of self re-discovery this song contains. The melodies make the song feel opportunistic yet once the lyrics start, it hits you to the core. “I’m just a ghost in this prison I built for you” stood out to me instantly. We all have been in the position where we’ve tried to be different for other people, but got lost in the process. This is a major theme for the rest of the album which we’re introduced to early on, making it flow really well.
As the song ended, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of journey I was about to go on.
Dazed & Confused
This song was immediately going to be put on my “on repeat” playlist. Taking a much different direction than the opener, “Dazed & Confused” has a more pop-punk sound and incorporates a cool synth-y bridge that I’m in love with. Lyrics “wouldn’t mind if she ruined my life” pulled me in so tight for obvious reasons (we all have been there before). It’s completely infectious and I can’t help but dance along. I’m unsure if it was intentional, but this song makes me want to run away to a hotel room to clear my head. Perhaps Hotel Bleu isn’t a physical place but a mental state. If so, I’m going to need a late checkout.
Don’t Lose Faith
The sound that escaped me as this song started was a big “oooooh” (which means I’ve been roped in and I’m not leaving). As the third song on the record, I feel like I’ve been on quite the journey already. “Don’t Lose Faith” possesses a dreamy vibe alongside distorted vocals that I absolutely adore which always transports me to another place. This song just does something to me that I can’t find words to properly describe. You will have to wait until the album is released to understand how speechless I am.
This song also stood out to me because of a state of mind I know too well. As the song played on, I interpreted it as someone who is realizing they may not be on the right path and acknowledging they need to do something about it. It’s really introspective and sheds a light on giving yourself grace instead of asking others to give you grace. It’s powerful.
Cruel (ft. Brian Butcher)
This is one of the singles off this album and it’s a true bop. Brian’s feature fits perfectly alongside Oliver’s velvet-like vocals. It has more of a pop element with the repetitive “Cruel” in the chorus which lightens the mood on the subject matter. The lyric ”teach me how to love myself” stopped me in my tracks. This song is so catchy and fun but Broadside still brought us back down to earth. It begs the question, “how do we love ourselves in a world where we’re expected to live up to a certain standard?”
Bang (ft. Josh Roberts)
Broadside released another absolute banger of a single with “Bang.” When I first listened to this song and watched the music video, I thought it was just another catchy song I couldn’t wait to hear live. But as I listened to the lyrics more closely this time around, it felt like a punch to the gut. It has more of a pop-like vibe much like “Cruel,” with some pretty heavy subject matter. It takes such a powerful turn with lyrics “the reaper’s at my door and I don’t want to run anymore.” Instead of succumbing to our demons, this song explores the idea of confronting them head on. It’s intoxicating and hands down one of my favorite songs on the album.
How To Love, How To Lie
This song encompasses the whole vibe of the album. It contains themes of self worth and insecurity. “Don’t you think I’m pretty” and “it’s not so simple when your head’s underwater” are lyrics that really drive these themes home, but so does the musical style of this song. Oliver’s voice is haunting and he puts emphasis on these lyrics throughout the song. There’s a grit to his performance that brings out the intimacy and vulnerability of not just this song but for the entire album.
Lucid (ft. Devin Papadol)
When I saw Honey Revenge’s Devin Papadol was going to be featured on a Broadside song, I fangirled just a tiny bit. Devin and Oliver’s voices in this duet are stunning. “Lucid” is another dreamy song on this album and flows beautifully and actually feels like a lucid dream! It’s one of the best features I’ve heard in a while because of how crystal clear Devin’s vocals ring through and truly bring another perspective to the song. Evolving around a dreamscape, the imagery described in this song makes it stunning but brings a bit of sadness out in it, too. The lyric “let me believe” was so sweet to hear while also feeling a little heartbreaking. Is it just a pipedream or can it be reality?
Feel Love
As the eighth track, “Feel Love” definitely feels like the turning point in the record’s overall theme. The lyric “just a passenger that’s all I’ve ever been” hit me to the core alongside transcendent melodies. Sometimes, it just takes one person to come along who helps change our perspectives. They become these human anchors who help us accept love. In a sense, they sort of help us out of the bleu. “Feel Love” is euphoric and makes me excited for love again. We all have our people.
One Last Time
As the oldest single release for Hotel Bleu, its musicality is so different from the rest of the album while still holding the same themes. It has more of that “classic” Broadside alt-pop sound that I love. But when I listened to this song as a part of Hotel Bleu, it hit a bit differently. Although the light-hearted melodies and lyrical structure make this feel like a light and airy song, the lyrics tell a different story upon a deeper listen. Is it about regret? Is it about pining for someone or something? Either way, it shows a sense of insecurity like the rest of the album does. Broadise, you sneaky guys!
What Have I Done
Making our way to the end of the journey, “What Have I Done” brings back the theme of self reflection and even self-deprecating ideals. It teeters on the edge of self worth and feeling undeserving with lyrics “too many nights trying to make it out alive” and “I’m not worthy no.” The chorus takes a more pop turn with the vocal melodies which beautifully contrast the heavier instrumentals in the verses. These two elements help the give and take aspect of the lyrical matter.
Bleu
Stunning. Absolutely stunning. As the ballad of the album, it has everything anyone could possibly want – filled with emotion, melodic delicacies, heartbreaking yet loving lyrics. THIS is the way to end an album.
At first listen, it felt like a love letter to any kind of loved ones we may have in our lives or had in our lives at one point. Oliver’s emotion shines through his voice and nearly brought me to tears. “Replaying messages to just hear your voice” is a reality for a lot of people that the rest of us may not realize. In fact, it’s one of my worst nightmares but Broadside helps make it feel not so isolating.
The song builds gorgeously and comes to a head during the bridge. Up to this point, the music and vocals are very simple. It even feels a little lonely until the bridge. The song explodes to its full glory after the bridge ends and instantly makes it feel less lonely. Was this intentional? I’m not sure, but I think it adds an intangible element to this song that takes it to the next level. I’ve listened to it about six times by now and I’m still speechless. Broadside, this is one of the most stunning songs I’ve ever heard.
I’m absolutely blown away by this record. I want to cry, I want to fall in love, I want to go to a rage room, I want to run away to a hotel room somewhere to just clear my head. I have adored Broadside for sometime now and Hotel Bleu is definitely my favorite album of theirs – it may even be their best yet. From the songwriting and fluid melodies to the vivid storytelling, this album is stunning. Broadside opened their hearts up to us with this record and it feels like they invited us to do the same. So I hope you all do, too and check in to Hotel Bleu on November 10th.
Hotel Bleu is available November 10, 2023 via Sharptone Records and will be available on streaming platforms.
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