Bloom (2018)
Originally released in 2018 but quietly reissued as a deluxe in 2023, Bloom is a debut that never got the attention it deserved. Listening now, it’s wild how overlooked this was — especially when you stack it up against the late 2010’s EDM-adjacent pop that was getting airplay at the time. This holds up way better.
Hindsight sets the tone with airy, reverbed keys and an upbeat but dreamy soundscape that gives you a solid preview of what Porcelain Moon is all about. Then you get to Break & Fall, which leans into that late-2010s electro-pop build-and-drop structure, but somehow cleaner, less processed, and just… better. It feels real. Like it was crafted, not produced. Honestly, it’s criminal this track never caught fire.
Urban Wilderness (Extended) brings in some tasteful guitar/vocal mimicry and layered instrumentation that leans jazz in spots, with strings and brass giving it a surprisingly orchestral lift. It plays like a Kygo track at times if he traded plugins for a live band. Not overly melodic, but mesmerizing in feel.
There’s something kind of out-of-body about Nomadic Love. The vocals are right out of the EDM-pop era, but the build soars in a way that begs to be played loud. Bloom itself is a lush instrumental centerpiece — rich piano, synth layers, and that kind of floral, blooming sound you hope a title track delivers.
Later cuts like Prelude for You switch things up with acoustic fingerpicking and unexpected 3/4 piano runs. It sneaks up on you. And the Hindsight (Reprise) brings it home with a guitar solo that’s way more satisfying than you’d expect for a reprise.
Bloom might flirt with familiar structures, but it carves out something that feels personal and intentionally built. Even when it dips into more electronic territory — like the cinematic and larger-than-life Silent Road — it keeps that warm, handmade touch. Bloom doesn’t try to reinvent anything, it just executes its vision better than most of the chart-chasing electro-pop that surrounded it in its time. And in hindsight? That’s exactly why it still holds up.
