Showcasing that alternative music is always a world to get lost in, LearningToDive is an artist that cements this as a fact. Arriving with debut album Norwegian Pop, it’s a release that isn’t for the faint-hearted.

Release Date: 2nd April 2021

Label: Puresound

Format: Digital

If you’re into alternative music with a dash of post-punk for good measure, this release is perfect for you. Titled Norwegian Pop, the inventive album is best served at a high volume. Packed with elements of synth-pop, new wave and the new romantic movement of the 1980s, LearningToDive’s expansive songwriting ability is from another world. Bringing you up to speed, LearningToDive is the project of Bravo Bonez, a New Zealand-based composer, producer and singer-songwriter.

Exploring political, societal, and personal themes, Norwegian Pop addresses themes of hope, betrayal, danger and age, all at the same time as sounding vibrant and original. An 11-track release that will instantly find a place in your heart from its independent nature, the album features 3 previously heard before tracks called, Tainted, Promenade and High & Dry.

From album opener, I Stand On An Ice Floe and its spacious attire to whip you off your feet from its ambient nature, the cinematic approach to open an album is breathtaking and eye-catching. Rainbow Fall features a driving 80s beat that could easily find a place onto The Lost Boys’ soundtrack. An album that has moments of easy-listening but also complex soundscapes too, Norwegian Pop encourages listeners to escape from normality and enter a safe haven of endless talent.

A strong contender on the release comes in the form of Promenade – a track that tells the story of two people who live in London and work close to Hyde Park. Often seeing each other from afar while walking in the park, they’re naturally drawn to each other. A love story that’s destined for doom, LearningToDive states,: “the song is a sad reflection on the truth, that as humans we can love more than one person at once, but in most relationships, you can really only be with one and choices have to be made”.

Bewitching and destined for your full attention, Norwegian Pop could easily be up there with the best albums of 2021.

LearningToDive online: Website / Facebook / Instagram

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