On this, their third album, Amsterdam’s finest Pip Blom, change direction yet maintain their wonderful and vivacious indie-pop sound. Following Boat (2019) and Welcome Break (2021), their new album Bobbie was crafted on computers and features heavy synths to die for. Produced and in parts co-written by Dave McCracken – whose credits include Kanye West and Jay-Z – Bobbie sets Pip and her band on a new trajectory, one that is full of surprises and delightful soundscapes.
Pip Blom worked on the album in spontaneous, intensive bursts of creativity based on non-stop five-day studio jaunts in her native Netherlands. In doing so, we get a joyous collection of pop hits songs that will hopefully take Pip to the next level and a larger audience.
Helping Blom along the way is her partner and lead vocalist of fellow Dutch band Personal Trainer Willem Smit, who joins her to duet the wonderful ‘Kiss Me By The Candlelight’ a song that is fused by influences from Metronomy and funky disco. We also have Alex Kapranos from Franz Ferdinand popping up on ‘Is This Love?’
Both duets work incredibly well, the vocals mixing perfectly over dance beats that belong on the dance floor and in the indie bars. Kiss me… especially really, really connects. A song about capturing love and picking your lover up is intimate and driven, a true highlight of the record.
‘Not Tonight’ opens Bobbie in fine style with an intro reminiscent of Bloc Party and New Order. A driven bass line and throbbing, strong guitar structure lead the synths a merry dance across the song, with Pip’s wonderful voice leading the charge.
The first single from the record, ‘Tiger’, is a proper earworm and marks a true departure in sound. Completely crafted on computers, it is a synth-heavy masterpiece. Clocking in at just under three minutes, it races along with wild abandon, and you’ll be singing the chorus for days to come.
‘Red’ is yet another catchy number, the longest track on the album (but still only four minutes). It is built around a drum loop and slightly distorted vocals with verses you nod to in solid agreement. There’s also a middle eight destined to be clapped along to when the band plays it live.
‘I Can Be Your Man’ and ‘Where’d You Get My Number’ zoom along at breakneck speed. The latter is driven, fully loaded with more guitar and bass hooks hidden under synths and vocals that drop in and out to collide with great effect. More funky bass lines and synths are driven over ‘Fantasies’ with a nod to Depeche Mode for the win. This particular track has a real dark undertone; the looping, haunting vocals build to a crescendo brilliantly.
Equally as dark is ‘Again’, a song that flows forcefully as Pip sings about the struggles of relationships and how people see different perspectives on the same subject. ‘Get Back’ has a catchy chorus and hook that gets stuck in your head and will be an absolute blast live.
Bobbie closes with ‘7 Weeks,’ another synth-heavy, dance floor song that seems reminiscent of Chvrches at their best. It’s a superb way to end the record, leaving the listener wanting more and more. “I wanna start again” is what Pip and the band sing to finish the album off and start again they truly have.
It is a new, fresh sound for a band that will excel in everything they do. Third albums don’t get much better than this. Congratulations on taking a chance and a risk. I wish more bands would take Pip Blom’s approach—more power to them.
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