Bombardier Jones Drops a “Great Idea”

The past year has brought a lot of noisy pop music out of the woodwork, but when it comes to making something crisp, direct, and free of the muddy audio indulgences that have become increasingly popular in 2021, Bombardier Jones appears to have the right idea in the new single “Great Idea.” “Great Idea” is built on a straightforward pop concept, but its central harmony is anything but a recycled memory from the old school. Leaving over-the-top distortion and theatrics on the sidelines, Bombardier Jones wants to get back to basics here – and they’ve got my endorsement as a critic and a fan. 

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Everything about this mastering is clean; from the guitar to the bassline and back to the vocal, the melodic componentry sparkles to the point of feeling a little sterile as we get closer to the chorus. This is completely fine though, as it lends a bit of ironic polish to the verse and further authenticates the heartfelt notions of our singer – where things get tricky in the arrangement is with the percussion. The drums are a potent kick in the pants when the bassline seemingly least expects it, forcing some urgency into the climax and, best of all, some more muscle out of the guitar part. 

This lead vocal is a lot meatier than what I would expect breaking down this song from a purely compositional standpoint, and yet it doesn’t sound like an agent of excess at all – evocation, on the contrary. Bombardier Jones wants us to feel the texture of the harmony and not just bask in the sonic frilliness of the cosmetics, and based on what a lot of the competition has been producing in this pandemic era, this makes them quite the alternative beside the mainstream in pop/rock. 

The rhythm of the instrumentation leaves the chorus of “Great Idea” in a state of arrest, but only long enough for this singer to pound out the tension and leave a lot of catharsis in the wake of his lyrical fever pitch. Every part, every component, every element of this single has something to add, leaving no space for the filler that some of Bombardier Jones’ rivals have been struggling to keep off of their own plates lately despite virtually every critic in the world taking them to task for it in print and online media. 

Bombardier Jones isn’t trying to rewrite the history books and wage a campaign for supremacy over the indie hierarchy in their scene – they’re simply out to make smooth pop/rock devoid of the lackluster isms that have become all too common in the genre recently. The synthetic edging of Imagine Dragons is completely removed from the creative concept in this piece – Bombardier Jones are itching to fill that organic gap that has been in the mainstream of rock since Queens of the Stone Age started making bunk dance singles, and if they keep with this current model, they’re going to see a lot of success sooner than later. 

Mindy McCall