The Bleeding Obvious Strikes All The Right Chords With Her New Album – Rainbow Heart

Jessica Rowbottom, popularly known by her stage name The Bleeding Obvious, is a brilliant artist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, performer, songwriter, and singer.  After delivering a successful debut album, the Yorkshire mistress of unorthodox self-expression returns with her newest work, Rainbow Heart.

The Rainbow Heart album offers a clever and sincere approach to some of the challenges facing the LGBT community. Rainbow Heart takes the listener on a journey of self-discovery that ends with us being who we are today, without labels or prejudices of character. ‘We are all in this world together. This is my story. What’s yours?’ This is the concept behind the Rainbow Heart album.

One thing that really impressed me about Rainbow Heart is the witty and sometimes humorous approach taken by The Bleeding Obvious. It gives the project a continuity of lightheartedness without compromising the intensity of work’s theme about “coming out of the closet,” sexual orientation, and the reactions these topics may spur among family and friends. Rainbow Heart’s album description reads:

“The Bleeding Obvious’ new album is paired with a show and charts the whole coming-out process. As well as being on the LGBT spectrum herself, Jessica interviewed over 90 LGBT people to find different viewpoints, stories, and anecdotes, which are boiled down into both spoken word and music.”

 

Song by Song Review

Rainbow Heart is nothing short of a classic. The album opens up with an ear-grabbing track called Labels, which challenges the idea of labeling one’s sexual orientation. The hook on this song is definitely a winner. The opening song Labels is followed by Drowning in the Shadows, which is one of my favorites on the album. Somewhat of a trippy groove, it’s that internal conversation, which we all have with ourselves in order to gain self-confidence in how we relate to others.

The third track on the album Outside Inside is a bright tune about gaining the resolve needed to be what we truly are; mentally, emotionally, and sexually. Outside Inside is followed by the groundbreaking Gender Babylon. Musically, it’s one of the best-produced songs on the album. The arrangements on the song expressed a genius not heard since the days of the Pet Shop Boys. What a refreshing delight!

The jazzy Over the Top, the album’s fifth song, speaks volumes about the range of influences that can be found in the music of The Bleeding Obvious. I had to rewind this song several times, simply because I enjoyed it that much. Psychologically, I found it to be a fanciful voyage of music’s ability to turn the listener out. Next, we have The Elephant in the Room. A somewhat cynical track, both lyrically and musically, the song’s mysteriousness keeps us where we need to be.

Spectrum is that smooth melody, which invites the listener into an eccentric dream of loving life through the art of touch. Definitely a dance hit! Nervous, the seventh track on the Rainbow Heart album is the truth or dare erotic offering on the album. The song takes a seductive approach that will put you in the room where all the action is happening. Listen. Close your eyes and see. Still nervous? There are no regrets with this one.

Your Own Internal Inertia is another album favorite. This song has a powerful message that ‘if you don’t come out the closet, you will always be in the closet.’ One Foot in Front Of The Other is the perfect ending to a spectacular album and amazing work by The Bleeding Obvious. Another amazing groove on the bright side of the album’s theme.  It’s that get up and go fluid that’ makes us comfortable with being who and what we are naturally. Bravo! I’m giving the Rainbow Heart album by The Bleeding Obvious five out of five stars. Get your copy today!