BØRNS - "Blue Madonna"

BØRNS, aka Garrett Clark Borns, is an Indie Pop artist who's been making his rounds ever since his 2015 debut "Dopamine".  Now, a lot of people dug this album, but a lot of critics were negative on certain aspects of it.  Mostly, the way that BØRNS did certainly seem at times that he was pushing out Indie Pop that wasn't edgy or revolutionary.  Honestly, though, I've never understood that, and I really love the majority of "Dopamine".  Tracks like "Fool" and "Electric Love" are just so glamorous, "American Money" was simply hypnotizing, and Garrett's vocal performance on "10,000 Emerald Pools" is nothing short of flooring.  Not to mention, the production on this album is KILLER.  Now, it has been a few years since we've heard from BØRNS.  But for the most part, man I don't get any of the same vibes from any of these new singles sadly.  Let's chat about this new BØRNS album.

(A personal favorite of mine!)

This album starts off with “God Save Our Young Blood”, featuring Lana Del Rey.  It’s a very joyous start that’s pretty sweet and sunny.  It’s nothing too flashy though, which does sort of worry me.  I loved just how over the top and flashy the first BØRNS album was.  As far as the verses go, BØRNS and Lana actually have some sort of nice chemistry that I can’t really deny.  But for the most part, I just feel like they didn’t push this track far enough.  This easily could have been a jolly, Indie-Pop banger.  But the haziness of this one sort of stifles it right in its tracks.  I just feel like BØRNS is seriously and I mean SERIOUSLY limiting himself.  There aren’t any bars here where his brilliant vocals are standing out, and in return, this sounds like something more off of Lana’s last album.  It’s just not the start I wanted to hear.  On the other hand, “Faded Heart” has a LOT of the elements of “Dopamine” that I really loved.  That BØRNS swagger is here in full effect, with those hazy Psychedelic Rock influences here being gigantic.  In a way, this almost reminds me of “…And Star Power” era Foxygen,  It’s smooth though and certainly determined.  While I still feel like BØRNS in a lot of ways is stifling himself after the lavish performances on his last release, this track is certainly an improvement.  But still, this is a punchy, eclectic Indie Pop tune that I do really love.  Not to mention, there’s just an element of grandness to this that I can’t help but eat up.  But then BØRNS answers that with a track like “Sweet Dreams” which is sort of Bizarre.  There were softer tunes on BØRNS’s early work, but they almost always ended up being electric or dazzling.  Here though, this sort of just sounds like faceless Indie Pop that could have been made by anyone.  Of course, there are some pretty sweet lyrical moments, but some of the small eccentricities of BØRNS that once enchanted me aren’t anywhere in sight.  And in return, BØRNS just seems on growing his sound.  And that’s fine, I always salute branching out, but “Sweet Dreams” just comes off as awkward.  On the other hand, “We Don’t Care” is an experiment that comes off a whole lot better.  I love the seriously funky licks we’re getting here, giving this more swagger than ever.  I just can’t get enough of the attitude we get on this one.  But also, I love just how much more focused BØRNS is on the instrumentals.  I honestly can pick out so much more than usual when it comes to the instrumentals here, which is something that a lot of people had issues with on “Dopamine”.  “We Don’t Care” is snappy, catchy and it’s seriously explosive.  It’s times like this that make me feel like BØRNS certainly still does have plenty of great tracks in him.  

    BØRNS continues to go from one extreme to another on “Man”, this one being a straight up Synth-Pop banger.  To be honest, though, he really pulls it off.  Obviously, it’s not as punchy or as cocky as the last tune, but this one still has plenty of wild personality in its own right.  Not to mention, this may be the first time on the album that BØRNS has really let loose with his vocals.  It’s a catchy tune with plenty of icy synths and dance grooves.  My only real wish is that BØRNS took this even further and made it an all-out dance tune.  Still, I love just how flashy this all is and over-the-top.  However, quickly BØRNS does sort of bite off more than he can chew when it comes to Synth Pop with “Iceberg”.  The entire introduction of this track is really sort of awkward.  It’s not nearly as confident as other tunes here, with BØRNS once again really sounding more like an outsider than anything.  The sort of low-key, gloomy instrumentals here don’t do nearly as much for me as you would think.  There are a few cool moments, like those very funky bass licks, and even BØRNS later on his soulful vocal moments (which almost come off like early Passion Pit).  But “Iceberg” for me is just sort of alright, being far from the worst track here.  I do also like some of the later elegant instrumentals as well.   “Second Night of Summer” on the other hand, comes off like a BØRNS track right off the bat.  That very light Indie Pop sound is here in full effect, with some seriously stunning vocals.  But this, like a lot of tracks on here is just sort of alright.  There’s nothing captivating me, nothing ripping me back demanding a second listen.  While I certainly do like elements of “Second Night of Summer”, nothing is really going to bring me back to this one.  At this rather, I just sort of wish he gave us more of what we heard on his debut album.  I do have to say though, lyrically I do enjoy a lot of this tune.  But oh boy, let me tell you, the auto-tuned intro of “I Don’t Want U Back” does absolutely nothing for me.  I do like some of the soulful and sassy bars on this one throughout.  But instrumentally this one is seriously putting me to sleep.  I’m fine with BØRNS going for a more Synth-Pop oriented sound, but this is just so drawn out like he’s desperately trying to make something happen.  On the other hand, I do still really think that BØRNS can write an electrifying Pop Song.  So I guess this track isn’t ALL bad, but this could have been so much more interesting. 

    Then, out of nowhere, we get this bizarre, funky “Tension” interlude from BØRNS.  I don’t know about you, but this sure as hell doesn’t come off as a damn interlude to me.  This just comes off as a track that’s ridiculously underwritten and unfinished.  And it’s a shame because those very retro synths in the background are a really cool element that could have made this track wonderful.  But “Supernatural” on the other hand is a really interesting sound for BØRNS.  There’s a very dream, almost Baroque Pop or Art Pop sense to this that’s actually to die for.  That, combined with all of the Synth-Pop that BØRNS has been working with, makes for a track that I really wouldn’t mind returning to.  It’s epic and grand feeling and has the sort of slick feel that I loved on the first BØRNS album.  There is sort of Psychedelic elements that MGMT fans will appreciate, with harmonies that any fan of Passion Pit would blush at as well.  It’s all wrapped up nicely with some seriously flashing production too.  So all I really have to say about “Supernatural” is, where was this?  If BØRNS was really going for a more varied sound, where the has THIS sound been.  The album’s title track, “Blue Madonna” on the other hand, takes us back to a much more low-key sound.  There are some seriously slick grooves here though, and I absolutely LOVE the very steamy verses here.  If BØRNS is going for a slower brand of Synth-Pop, this is absolutely the one to go for.  It’s moody, sexy, and has a real atmosphere.  Throughout this album, this very gloomy and moody sound has actually really worked great for BØRNS and I sort of wish we got more tunes like this.  Plus, the production of “Blue Madonna” is great.  And while Lana Del Rey is back for seconds on this one, and is MUCH quieter this time around, I have to admit this is a much more tasteful collaboration.   BØRNS actually ends up ending off this album in a positive way with “Bye-Bye Darling”, which is one of the more ear-catching tunes on the album.  It’s moments like this where BØRNS really goes for that more experimental sound that I feel like he’s really on to something.  “Bye-Bye Darling” is a seriously classy Pop tune.  I honestly don’t know what happened with the majority of this album, but this is one charming, epic tune.  Not to mention, BØRNS really sounds like he’s being himself and letting his personality shine.  Are there any bombastic performances?  No, but it’s quaint and it’s different in the best way.  

Rating: 7.1/10




Give A Listen To: “Faded Heart”, “We Don’t Care”, “Bye Bye Darling”, “Supernatural”

Genre: Indie Pop / Electro-Pop / Alternative Rock / Psychedelic Pop




Overall Thoughts: BøRNS on this album don't bring in nearly as captivating performances or nearly as glamorous production.  As a matter of fact, most of this album is made up of BøRNS trying to really branch out his sound.  Half of the time, that results in an awkward Mash-Up between Moody Synth Pop and Mellow Psych Pop.  Now, this wasn't the album that I wanted to hear from BøRNS to be honest, and a LOT of what made me keep coming back to BøRNS early material simply isn't here.  Not to mention, most of the time BøRNS really seems like he's limiting himself and holding back on some of the gigantic performances that floored me on "Dopamine".  But there are enough experiments on here that go right that make it decent.  Plus, the few times that BøRNS gets these Psych Pop experiments right, it makes me actually excited to hear what he's going to be doing in the future.