What do you need to know here? Well, The Bronze are Holly Taymar and Chris Bilton and they hail from the city of York. That’s their place on the planet and their musical style is certainly one that initially seems much as one expects of those afflicted with sensitivity but closer inspection unveils an emotional depth indicative of both heart and soul.
Whilst the lyrical sensibilities are, fortunately, more of today than of the rose tinted days of the past, there is nonetheless an element of the things gone before in the music of The Bronze. For a start, the unforced and endearing vocal style of Ms Taymar bears comparison with heartfelt melancholy of Lynsey de Paul. She underplays her hand, almost to a fault, but that approach actually reinforces the introspective, at times confessional, words that run closer to the truth than most would dare to do these days.
“Gun To The Floor”, the opening song, sets the tone for the album. This is a song with subtle nuances and Ms Taymar’s voice demonstrates a fragility that gets the message across without even a hint of faked drama. “The Life is Yours” drops in a counterpoint harmony that serves to emphasise the difficulties of co-existence across the boundaries of, real or metaphorical, geographical separation. Think Carly Simon and James Taylor transposed into the time signature of the iPhone and you will be right there with The Bronze. “Hush” is again downbeat to the point of overdosing on wistfulness but there is no doubting that a human heart beats under it all.
In conclusion, this self-titled album from The Bronze is unusual for its maturity and subtlety. There’s nothing here that leaps out at you but, if you care to give this album the proper attention, you will fall under its spell.