As we creep into August I feel like it’s getting harder for me to stay positive and keep up a cheery demeanor. Especially when every time I go to get food I see people (young and old) walking around without masks, not social distancing, and overall just acting like COVID has gone away and everything is normal. Thank goodness that there is new Gloom Balloon music to revitalize my faith in humanity for at least a little bit. A new album is on the way at the end of September.

Never one for brevity, the name of the album is So Bergman Uses Bach To Get His Point Across, I Feel Like I Have Chosen Rock But At What A Cost. And if that isn’t a long enough title for you, the first single is “Credits Roll Up, Tears Roll Down, Your Love Is Like The Sound Of The Rain Hitting The Ground.” I, for one, enjoy the long titles. Sometimes being concise is best, but in art it is often better to say everything you want plainly and leave no room for assumptions.

If you’re familiar with Gloom Balloon, you’ll know that Patrick Tape Fleming creates some of the most grand music you could hope to hear. The list of instruments you can hear in every song seems endless and his knowledge of composition feels unfair to other musicians. If this is your first exposure to his music, it’s a bit hard to explain. I used to say it’s like Herbie Hancock meets Bright Eyes. Now I’m not so sure about that description. The songs are so much bigger than that-today I’m thinking Sondheim and Bernstein have as much to do with the DNA of Gloom Balloon as any other artists.

Gloom Balloon videos are always great, and this one is no exception. It’s fun and innocent and provides a great compliment to the song. There is a point in this clip where it goes from being a very good video to one of epic proportions. I won’t spoil it, but be sure to watch the whole thing.

Pre-orders for the new album start on August 7th on Grand Phony. I highly recommend getting your order in and supporting Patrick’s music. It will definitely support you in return.