indie underrated

We can’t stop listening to “Blood in the Water,” the new single from indie synthpop maestro Blank Spaces. 

There’s a great interplay between darkness and light happening on this track. The verse vocals–deep, moody, and reminiscent of Dave Gahan’s from Depeche Mode–and the image of “blood in the water” bring the darkness. Then the smooth, resonant guitar tone and weightlessly catchy chorus bring the light. The result is an incredibly nuanced and complete overall song. 

We especially love the synth riff that comes at the end of each chorus. Blank Spaces lets notes hang where other artists might be tempted to move them and, with this technique, generates a listening experience that feels reassuring. 

“Blood in the Water” is one of a handful of singles released by Blank Spaces this year. We think people would be remiss to not check out the others!

Singer-songwriter Gabriel Blake is at it again with the release of his new single “Only Child”! 

This track does a lot with a little. The relatively spare instrumental arrangement consists of a patient acoustic guitar and cascading string section. These instrumental limits dared Blake to create a supportive structural arrangement and, man, did he live up to the challenge!

This song goes exactly where you want and everywhere you weren’t expecting. Each moment of gorgeous melody is countered with a provocative moment of dissonance. This makes the music its own story behind that which exists in the pensive lyrical composition delivered by Blake’s ever-so-gentle and compelling vocal style. 

The strings give this song a Beatles touch, and the vocals remind us of Sufjan Stevens. 

Gabriel Blake is one songsmith to keep an eye on!

Originality is something many musicians aspire to. It can be achieved in a variety of ways, but for a band to be wholly original is special.

We feel that Adult Male Blondes is wholly original. 

Their new single “ricky” off the crud EP is our evidence. Sonically, this song has a gentle calming effect–anchored by a steady, reliable beat and accentuated by warm acoustic guitars. The calmness is contradicted by the lyrical composition, which is precise and existentially wrought. This all gives the song an interesting tension that feels unique to the perspectives of the songwriters behind Adult Male Blondes. 

The eclectic instrumental mix makes it tough to pin a genre on this track, but because of the guitar work we’ll call it alternative indie. Musically, it has some similarities to Either/Or era Elliott Smith but simultaneously incorporates techniques that you won’t find on that record.

More than anything else, “ricky” is its own and should be embraced accordingly.

Listen to these songs and more on our playlist!