The fourteenth studio album from Alternative Rock legends, 311, is a strong collection of songs that longtime fans of the band are sure to enjoy, and there’s plenty of new vibes brought forth for casual fans to check out as well. Full Bloom was produced by Collin Brittain, with some additional producer credits from Scotch Ralston and Tim Pagnotta. The band described Full Bloom as “311 on steroids,” and it’s hard to not agree with this assessment. 311 goes bigger and better than they have in quite some time and delivers the right mix of nostalgia paired with artistic growth for a strong musical statement. The set was preceded with their highest charting single in 13 years, breaking into the Top 15 on Alternative radio, with lead single “You’re Gonna Get It.” The concise ten-track album features some of the band’s strongest material in years showcasing that the veteran rockers have plenty left in the tank.
Starting off with the lead single is a wise choice as the track is the best song on the record and helps set the right tone for the entirety of Full Bloom. The eerie guitar picking from Tim Mahoney in the opening riff is a different approach from the guitarist, while lead vocalist/guitarist Nick Hexum opens with, “See it coming like a train in the distance / Watching everything change in an instant / Magical feeling, indestructible / You don’t even care what they’re thinkin’ / When you don’t slow down, it won’t sink in / On your own, out there in the great unknown.” The single feels super-charged and creates the right type of anticipation for the material that follows.
”Need Somebody” builds off of the success of the opener with some similar-sounding guitar tones, while bassist P-Nut’s riffs reverberate off of the speakers in the most epic of ways. The song is the second single to be released from the set and it fits comfortably in the groove that 311 is best known for. The title track follows next in the sequencing with some bubbly guitars from Mahoney, while Hexum and SA Martinez harmonize nicely in the verses and choruses. The second verse of, “We, are all apart of connection / With every single section / Though sometimes we forget / Cuz everyone loses signal sometimes / Lost in the static forget we’re combined / That’s just the way that it goes,” preaches what 311 have been about from the beginning: unity.
After the killer three-track punch, 311 settles into a comfortable groove on the bass-heavy “Friend” that alludes to the fact that the band is here for the long haul as Hexum mentions, “My friend, we can’t let this be the end.” The song doesn’t really go much beyond the early tones set forth, but luckily the funky beats found on “Mountain Top” get 311 back on track quickly with another solid bass/drums breakdown courtesy of P-Nut and drummer Chad Sexton. Hexum remains as captivating as ever in his vocal delivery, and Martinez’s vocal effects on the lyric of “Where’d it all go?” highlight how the band can still take some calculated risks.
”New Heights” complements the earlier title track with a similar-sounding guitar riff, while Hexum comes to grips with mortality and legacy as he croons, “And if our time is winding down / We’ll turn a whisper to a sound / And if you ever feel a doubt / We’re all in this forever.” “Days Go By” is reminiscent of the sound the band went for on 2019’s Voyager, but with improved results. It feels very much like a 311 song, and ironically is the only song on the LP to clock in at exactly the 3 minute 11 second mark.
One of the coolest songs on Full Bloom comes on “Persimmon” that features some atmospheric riffing from Mahoney while Hexum offers the opening thought of, “It’s hard to make things easy / And easy to make things hard.” 311 continues to explore the depths of their dynamic sound as the song unfolds, and show why the band has been able to consistently fill venues over their 36 year career. “All You’ve Seen” feels like an instant classic in 311’s discography with its chill vibes and smooth chorus of, “Close calls and the stumble and falls / And the way you react with your back to the wall / In your mind there’s a silver screen / Another frame out of all you’ve seen, yeah / Rewind and see it again / Cuz the clock won’t stop on the time that we spend /Maybe few, maybe far between / Another page out of all you’ve seen, yeah.” The album closer of “Braver” offers up some different-sounding guitar tones while SA Martinez takes the reins on the lead vocals with some well-timed rapping before blending in the harmonic chorus with Hexum.
There’s plenty for longtime fans to enjoy on 311’s Full Bloom, and if you’ve stuck with the band this long, there isn’t anything here to dissuade you from continuing on the journey. While the ground covered on this LP may seem similar, the band packs a firm punch in their approach to the songs that come flowing out of them as majestically as the album artwork would indicate.