There are certainly points of interest to be found in this record, but overall, listeners won’t be met with the same distinctive bursts of energy that saw Dopamine garner BØRNS such a formidable following.
‘God Save Our Young Blood’ is an interesting track, but not a strong opener. There’s a lot of elements that when appreciated individually are quite strong, but altogether this song feels a little disjointed and washy. While a collab with Lana Del Ray is pretty sweet stuff, this track isn’t a strong reflection of what BØRNS can do.
‘Faded Heart’ however, takes things back to the singer-songwriters’ distinctive cool energy and will have you chanting along to his cry, “Don’t you break my faded heart,” over and over again. A standout on the album, this track definitely offers the kind of BØRNS swagger that was so well-received on his debut.
Angry anthem ‘We Don’t Care’ takes an unlikely yet polished turn to jangly rock, meanwhile there’s a slick violin breakdown in ‘Iceberg’ that soars. These tracks offer a delicious spike in dynamism that will definitely grab your attention.
It’s hard not to compare this record to big brother, Dopamine, which demanded our attention so effortlessly. Blue Madonna is far more of a slow burner, with many tracks fading a little into the background. But just because this album won’t raise your pulse as much Dopamine, doesn’t mean it isn’t good. Listeners will just have to dig a little to find the moments of excitement that are peppered throughout.
6.5/10
