On May 7th, 2021, 18-year-old singer-songwriter Chloe Moriondo released her second full-length album, titled “Blood Bunny.” A self-proclaimed “lesbian making music for bugs and goblins to listen to”, Moriondo’s sophomore effort serves as the follow-up to 2018’s “Rabbit Hearted.”, a record just under half an hour filled with 10 dreamy acoustic songs about love and growing up.
While the subject matter on “Blood Bunny” is similar to that of “Rabbit Hearted.”, it’s approached in a different way. The things that the Moriondo from three years ago would be sadly singing about as she strummed her ukulele are ones that her 2021 self shrugs and laughs at before making fun of them in a soaring pop-rock track.
The opening lines of the album’s first song “Rly Don’t Care” seem to be a direct response to the singer’s 2018 track “Road Trip”, the latter being a twinkly teenage love song. However, instead of singing “I don't have my license yet / But I think it might be fun to try with you”, they proudly proclaim, “I finally got my license / I think I'm gonna drive this time”, alerting listeners right from the start that she will not be taking a backseat, literally or figuratively, anymore.
The rest of the track’s lyrics see Moriondo telling listeners that they don’t care what anyone thinks of her appearance, whether it be their hair (or shaved head), piercings, tattoos, or clothes. For such an angry-sounding song, the lyrical content is pretty optimistic, and it’s nice to see things starting to look up for the teenager after quite a moody debut.
Up next is “I Eat Boys”, the fourth song released from the record before the full LP dropped and the first of a few about Moriondo’s disdain for disrespectful men. The relatively soft and fragile instrumentals fused with scathing lyrics like “I'll eat you whole / Pull out your teeth and take your soul / Stir some blood into the punch bowl” and “Don't look at me like that, eyes on the pavement / Now your legs are shaking / Hands off, kid, or you'll wake up in my basement / And all the feds will have to break-in” create a visceral listening experience of a track.
“Manta Rays” was the first single that fans heard from “Blood Bunny” back in summer 2020, and was also the first song that Moriondo wrote on guitar rather than ukulele. The dreamy instrumental is accompanied by sweet, earnest lyrics about everything from love and yearning to conversations with therapists and Googling how big manta rays are, the latter of which giving the track its title.
Exploring themes of insecurity rooted in forms of media, “GIRL ON TV” sees Moriondo wishing she could be happy as easily as the celebrities they see on TV, and ultimately feeling like a freak because she can’t. Initially released in November 2020, the lyrics are incredibly relatable, particularly for young girls, and the singer’s impassioned vocal delivery will make you feel their pain completely, even if you’ve never felt this way before.
Appropriately released in August 2020 and serving as the perfect summer anthem for a cheesy teenage love story, “I Want To Be With You” reads like a diary entry from an adolescent whose world has been turned upside down by a crush. Lines like “It's almost unnatural how lame I act around you / Give me a chance / To say what I mean / Please do the same / I want to be with you” and “I'll get over my head / And I'll make my bed / 'Cause darling you'rе the one / And fuck, I want you” bring this tale to life, sounding straight out of a coming-of-age romance novel.
Things slow down a bit on “Slacker”, as Moriondo laments losing someone that she loved, the lyrics quickly turning from slightly romantic to completely self-deprecating. The chorus of “I could’ve had her / But I guess I'm just a slacker / And maybe it wouldn't even matter / If it always ends in disaster” is absolutely heartwrenching, and by the end of the track you’ll either be crying, wondering if things worked out between the pessimistic narrator and their partner, or a little bit of both.
“Take Your Time” picks things back up again, turning the energy up on a song about lust, confusion, insecurity, and separation. Sonically, this is one of the hardest-hitting moments on the album, accompanied by clever one-liners like “You don't fade like old stick-and-pokes.”
Track eight, “Bodybag”, is probably the catchiest, most radio-ready song on “Blood Bunny.” The upbeat instrumentals soar as Moriondo sings, “Don't know if I hate you or if I wanna date you / Put you in a bodybag instead of my bed / I don't wanna like you, I just wanna tie you up”, successfully bringing to life that all-too-familiar feeling of having a crush on someone but simultaneously wanting to punch them in the face.
On the tongue-in-cheek “Favorite Band”, Moriondo says, “I just don't really like your music taste and it's putting me off, it's making me feel weird, that's what this song is about.” The playful tune is packed with references to classic emo bands, as the 18-year-old sings that they’re “just a kid like Simple Plan” and that “Hayley [Williams, of Paramore] just gets [them].”
The one-two punch of love songs “Samantha” and “Strawberry Blonde” is incredibly sweet, but will also undoubtedly serve as a comforting source of representation for young girls questioning their sexualities. Lyrics like “I'll do anything you ask me to / You're the reason that I dyed my hair blue / Samantha, I'm in love with you / And I'll sing it again and again” and “She cools me down / Keeps my feet on the ground when I get too high / And she makes me feel like this could be something real...’Cause my girl’s made of peaches and soft grass and the moonlight / Every touch reminds me, it's alright” make it clear that Moriondo is singing about a girl, one that she’s irrevocably in love with, and you’ll absolutely melt every time you stream these two tracks.
Reminiscent of early Avril Lavinge, closing tracks “Vapor” and “What If It Doesn’t End Well” are heavy on the emo influences, and they work perfectly. Moody guitars take off as Moriondo’s captivating voice sings lyrics exploring themes of fearing the future and not knowing (or not wanting to know) what will happen next, ending the record on the highest of highs.
As a whole, Chloe Moriondo’s full-band sound, improved vocal performances, and matured lyrics make “Blood Bunny” an unbelievable step up from the singer’s debut album released three years ago. They’ve undoubtedly avoided the sophomore slump, and considering how impressive this LP was, it seems like the sky truly is the limit for this teenager.
“Blood Bunny”, the second full-length album from Chloe Moriondo is available to listen to on all streaming platforms. To support the artist, you can check out her online merch store.
You can find Chloe Moriondo on Twitter @KidzWithBugz, on Instagram @ChloeMoriondo, and on Facebook @KidsWBugz. If you’ve listened to the album, be sure to share your thoughts on it with me on Twitter either @JENSESSlON or @StrawbSkiesBlog, on Instagram @StrawberrySkiesBlog, or on Facebook @StrawberrySkiesBlog.