Single Review & Video Premiere
Simon Bromide & The Bromides
Forest Mountain Forest
Scratchy Records
DL only (Forthcoming album all formats)
Release Date: 12 March 2026
South London’s alternative singer-songwriter Simon Bromide releases Forest Mountain Forest, the first single and title track from his forthcoming album, due out early summer. LTW reviewed his Following the Moon album in 2022 – Lyrically smart, musically lush, loose and luxuriant – said Ged Babey – and the Not That Type b/w Wichita Lineman single, a classic.
“Ever since I saw a black & white image of The Beatles on my mum’s TV in 1976 I’ve been hooked by this thing called pop music” explains Simon, “I’ve been devoured by it. It informs pretty much every moment of every waking day in one way or another and writing & performing songs has become a lifelong pursuit”.
I like Simon Bromide – he’s a bit of a nutty character – mad about music, and not only his own. Nature has given him his image, as a kinda bohemian-Eric Morecambe – but he has a great singing voice and it’s his songs that count.
In the ‘olden days’ of my youth when you could divide people up into various cults, Simon would have been a ‘hippy’ rather than a ‘punk’ but the kind who was always up for a laugh and would share his goodies. Specs and premature baldness couldn’t disguise that he was one-of-us at heart – despite his love of music that was tuneful and old-school. He would probably have raved about Tom Petty and Springsteen or the Eagles and Doobie Brothers – but despite this, he was ‘alright’.
It’s weird that I think of him this way as he’s possibly younger than I am and has probably had far more of a rock’n’roll life than I have. He was in a band called Bromide, hence his adopted surname. Anyway, the new song…
This one popped out when I was jamming another song with a friend. The riff immediately reminded me of a Replacements track Can’t Hardly Wait but it was just that little bit different… different enough to claim it as my own. The lyrics are pretty self-explanatory if you substitute the title with the words ‘Birth Life Death’. More sweet backing vocals from Piney Gir.
A Ziggy chord-change, a bit of Steve Harley in the vocal inflections, the grooviest of organ sounds straight off Rattus and the most positive-sounding song about Birth, Life & Death you’ll hear. And a little heavenly choir on the fade-out. A guaranteed hit in a perfect pop parallel universe.
It’s a cool track, but the album contains some gems that are even better.
This time there’s a new moniker, Simon Bromide & The Bromides to reflect a more established band line-up for the recording, with Ed ‘Cosmo’ Wright returning for bass duty, Sam Kelly on drums (son of famous 60s ‘blueser’ Dave Kelly), Ollie Parfitt on keys, backing vocals from Piney Gir and Simon on acoustic & electric guitars. Brian O‘Shaughnessy, whose production credits include Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine, Denim & Beth Orton was once again on production duties at Bark Studios where Forest Mountain Forest was recorded.
The name might have changed but the touchpoints are similar – Teenage Fanclub / Big Star, The Bevis Frond, Silver Jews & Mark Eitzel. Forest Mountain Forest is essentially another of his fanboy scrapbooks.
It’s just a great, upbeat but laidback, tuneful but rockin’, old-school but Now! album which you won’t be able to resist. It sounds like pre-punk West Coast pop/rock yet has Happy Monday and Charlatans steals and vibes….. sounds like Coney Island Baby meets Tom Petty…. so it’s a mix of old-school uncool and post-irony meta-cool. Or just plain groovy if you prefer.
I like Simon Bromide & The Bromides despite their positivity and ‘hippy’ traits. I was well aware of bromides use in war-time but googled the word anyway. One of the results was this – a drug used to calm people who are very unhappy or worried– just replace ‘a drug’ with ‘a song’ and that’s a pretty good description of Forest Mountain Forest.
Upcoming Shows:
Sat, 21st March – Trash Night / Endeavour – Deptford / South London (full band)
Sat 4th April – Water Into Beer – Brockley / South London (acoustic)
Fri, 10th April – The Beehive (w/ Dulcet Tones) – Swindon (acoustic)
Fri, 8th May – Dash the Henge (instore) – Peckham / South London (full band)
Sat, 9th May – Scratchstock / Old Dispensary – Camberwell (full band)
Sat, 16th May – The Old Mill – Plumstead / South London – (full band)
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All words Ged Babey with press release content in italics
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