REVIEW: "bloom," the second single from leeds-based singer-songwriter carmen mclean

Her lyricism as impactful and poignant as her voice is silky smooth, Carmen McLean is the soft pop songstress we all need in 2020. Having written her first song at age 9, it's clear that this is what she's meant to be doing. She graduated from Leeds Conservatoire last year with an honors degree in classical music and decided that she was going to try her hand at becoming a professional songwriter.

"Bloom" is a melancholic, sweet ballad about finding peace with the loss of a loved one. It reminds me of the way that Phoebe Bridgers found peace with the end of the world through the release of Punisher - it's clear that Carmen, while heartbroken by this loss, has found peace in remembering who she lost in even the most mundane things. Sometimes mundanity is where we find the most beauty - "I feel it when I'm playing my guitar, and look up to the stars, and I know you see them, too."

Carmen can be found on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Spotify. Her first release, "Slow Down," is just as beautiful as "Bloom." I would highly recommend following her on social media and keeping an eye on her - it's only a matter of time before her unique, refreshing style garners attention.