Milk & Bone Beautifully Capture Love and Loneliness In "Deception Bay"

Love and loneliness are meant to not exist together, yet sometimes one may lead to another. It's a heartbreaking tale just to think about, and even more harrowing to go through. Milk & Bone beautifully capture love and loneliness in Deception Bay, their innocent, soulful album that captures heartbreak and the beauty of love in an incredible way.

The magic of Deception Bay is how it drags you into a false sense of security. The first half of the record is purely unassuming and innocent. It's so gentle and warm that you can't help but fall in love with its sound, from the curious vocals and methodical production of opening track 'Set In Stone' to the wonderful layered vocals of 'Nevermore.' Everything in the first half of the album is so incredibly gentle and genuinely sweet. 'Daydream' is an anthem about having a crush, being as sweet as possible without it seeming like too much. 'KIDS' is a song that celebrates young love, and that euphoric feeling of feeling like you're with the person you're meant to be with.

The thing is, there's a large sense of inevitability with the first half, and it becomes the center of the album when it all the love comes crumbling down in the second half, starting with the ambience of a room and a piano in 'Tmrw.' 'Sad Eyes' is the song that starts the more reflexive attitude, but 'Tmrw.' is the one that truly starts tugging at your heart. It's incredibly dark and depressed in every fashion, the chorus trying to be optimistic as it somberly cries, "Let's see what tomorrow brings." It's followed by a gorgeous 'interlude I' which goes straight into the beautiful, low-key, and noticeably more serious 'THE FLOOD.' The volta of this record is so naturally yet so unexpected at the same time, it's hard to really wrap your head around. It's so perfectly executed and it tells a tragic story that many can relate to. The album only continues to be more beautiful, from the wonderful builds of 'Deception Bay' to the longing touch of 'BBBLUE.' Closing track ':')' may seem like a troll, but it's the perfect way to close out the record. With a gentle, untouched ambience to bring the record out, it ends where it began: innocently, and with hope.

There are few albums that can tell a story as well as Deception Bay does. It may sound carefree but it is incredibly methodical and visceral. It's a raw telling of one of life's most fragile moments, one we all experience at some point. Milk & Bone beautifully capture love and loneliness in Deception Bay, telling the story that helps us remember the good times and the bad.

Favorite Tracks: Tmrw., Deception Bay, KIDS, THE FLOOD

Least Favorite Track: Nevermore

Rating: 95 / 100

Stream or buy Deception Bay on Apple Music, and follow our 2018 Playlist: