Late-night drives, teenage heartbreak, and misguided nostalgia are all at the forefront of “Peaked in High School,” the debut album from Brooklyn-based jazz trio GoldBloom. Comprised of three Texas transplants, Goldbloom’s sound is gritty, hard-hitting, and unapologetic; music aimed at the heart, not the head. Despite their conservatory degrees in performance, the trio holds on proudly to their garage band aesthetic.

The band first came together through rehearsals during the Covid-19 lockdown, slowly piecing together songs that highlight both the ethos of the band and explore the unique instrumentation of the group. Drummer Grant Martin provides self-assured and steady grooves while bassist Steve Williams’ sound colors each track and provides a bedrock for soaring solos from Saxophonist Blake Opper.

The title track and first single “Peaked in High School '' was released on February 15. The song begins with Blake introducing a cool, mellow groove to the bass and drums as if teaching the band the song for the first time. Almost as soon as you settle into this mood, the band explodes into the album’s first (but certainly not last) heavy, headbanging section. 

The second single “Paul Giamatti” arrived on March 15 and features Blake floating over Grant’s ambient vamp of bass harmonics while Steve’s effortless drumming propels this reference to fellow Brooklynite Giamatti. “Peaked in High School” spans the depths of the group’s potential offering everything from catchy earworms like “Trash King” to fiery dissonance and extended techniques in “In Your Prime.”

While not the most traditional jazz group, the band leans heavily into their influences including other trios like Happy Apple, The Bad Plus, Heernt, Fat Kid Wednesdays, and The Bandwagon. Rock songwriting and jazz improvisation don’t live side by side here, they are amalgamated into something new. Rather than a collection of jazz soloists GoldBloom is a band in the truest sense of the word: individuals collectively committed to their role in crafting the group’s sound.