bdrmm are a beacon of light in the modern musical landscape. There is perhaps no other band that push their musicality and the sonic landscape they create further. Their debut LP, ‘Bedroom’ was one of the best shoegaze LP’s of modern times.

However, it’s with their sophomore album, ‘I Don’t Know’ that they really have come into their own, showing their musical growth whilst crafting an album that is truly different to anything else on the market right now.

‘Alps’ kicks off the album expertly, with it’s ambient, dreamy state drawing the listener in whilst sounding like the musical equivalent of Twin Peaks’ Red Room. It incorporates almost electronic drumbeats whilst the vocals glide over them in a disembodied state. Although remaining distinctly shoegaze, it sounds closer to Blanck Mass than Slowdive. This blending of genre continues in following track, ‘Be Careful’, with the drums here taking influence from old-skool hip-hop. However, it does incorporate more traditional alternative sounds with a brooding bassline that echoes through the sonic wilderness a la Pornography-era The Cure.

The album returns to more traditional shoegaze roots with, ‘It’s Just a Bit of Blood’ with the guitar gliding in with an echoey, dreamy riff before breaking into a cacophonous racket that ends just as quickly as it began, the Sonic Youth influence being clear to see. However, this is not to state that album solely harkens back to shoegaze days-gone-by, with the chorus bringing in more indie-pop elements that wouldn’t be amiss on a The Orielles or Pip Blom album.

This abrasive sonic landscape is continued within, ‘Pulling Stiches’, which is full on in its overdriven power. It’s a track that’s ear-piercingly loud, but holds an undeniable groove and, although, being excellent on record it’s a track that is made to be heard live in all of its ear-bleeding, tooth shaking glory.

Closing out the album is the aptly named, ‘A Final Movement’ which is an 8-minute-long monolith of a track. It slowly ebbs its way in with a swill of guitar feedback before a truly beautiful string section cuts in. It’s a blending of styles which truly encapsulates shoegaze in the modern day as the guitar and strings dance with each other expertly.

‘I Don’t Know’ is a modern-day classic. bdrmm have taken everything that made their debut great and combined it with many outside influences that they have collected in the intervening three years to great success. It is a challenging album, no doubt, but when it pulls you in you’re in for a truly beautiful musical experience.