Photo: Jake Soto
Info: Blushing is comprised of two husband and wife pairs that originated in the summer of 2015 when Michelle shared a few songs with long time friend Christina that she had been writing on guitar. A friendship quickly became a musical partnership as Christina, a classically trained vocalist, picked up a bass and together they evolved those rough songs into fully formed compositions. They then enlisted the talents of their spouses, Jake on drums, Noe on lead guitar and shortly after self-released their debut EP 'Tether' in January of 2017.
Energized by positive reception, a growing fan base and a grip of new songs they headed back into the studio as soon as possible. They recorded their follow-up EP 'Weak' at Bad Wolf Recordings in Austin, TX. The EP encompasses influences from all of the bands they collectively share a deep affection for such as Lush, Cocteau Twins, The Sundays, etc.
Back in November we reviewed opening single, 'Tether' from Blushing's sophomore EP Weak, describing it as; "... a delightful blend of alternative 80's jangle-pop and soft-rock, watery guitar effects and slow-building percussion turn to fuzzed-out distortion and a celestial vocal chorus which kind of reminds me of the intro of the second track on Death in Vegas' Scorpio Rising album, 'Girls', so much loveliness in four and a half minutes."
Second track 'Hidden Places' rattles through a tumbling riff and drone-like percussion, a sparse post-punk opening which captures the bands reverence for 80's guitar-driven gothic-pop, like a morose Jane Wiedlin, it's quite enchanting to say the least. 'Bliss' opts for a tropical underwater guitar gleam, the title delivers, and a dream-pop coma ensues, the body is dead but the mind is wandering.
'Bound' is a bit of curveball, beginning with a 90's grunge intro like the start of an Alice in Chains song, Blushing then smooth the sound out with interwoven rhythmic vocals and guitar achieving a hypnotic mood. Closing with the EP's longest track 'Love You Twice', it has a very raw late 80's U.K. jangle-pop and shoegaze feel, and that rawness is an unusual feature across the entirety of Weak, with the band managing to create a collection of songs that feel like an ode to their teenage selves. Unlike their debut Tether, Weak never really bursts into flames once, the band maintain a disciplined lo-fi approach across its 22-odd minutes. By the end the soul is restored, calm abounds and all is well with the world once again, with fans of multiple genres finding something to enjoy on Blushing's latest release.
Like / Listen & Follow:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weareblushing
Bandcamp: https://weareblushing.bandcamp.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/27rWdoCAtvpwChpCDz9PK0
Twitter: https://twitter.com/blushingband
