Check out "Make It Up," the first new material from The Blow in QUITE A BIT.
It's been a while since we heard anything from The Blow, aka our favorite indie-pop duo from Brooklyn-by-way-of-Portland-by-way-of-Olympia that's seen us through many a cathartic dorm-room dance party. Despite the near-perfection of their 2006 single "Parentheses," off of the group's Paper Television LP, they seemed to have dialed back their musical presence -- until releasing "Make It Up" late last week.
So, how is it? Well, let's just say that I may or may not have to duck outta work early, hop the train to Jaime Gleicher's alma mater (Barnard, duh), and throw an impromptu dance party of one in the currently cleared-out residence halls. I SAID "MAY."
Listen to The Blow's "Make It Up" after the jump.
In terms of sound, "Make It Up" incorporates a lot of the soft percussive qualities that have defined The Blow, yet "Make It Up" is anything but derivative. It's more of a natural evolution of what they used to sound like -- i.e. this is what seven years sounds like! There's a collective, "let's all dance in a circle!" feeling to the song, but with a mellow edge, sort of like a more lo-fi version of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros' "Home." Wait, mellow edges are a thing, right? Mellow edge! Ya know? Makes sense, right?
TBH, we were initially hesitant upon learning that only one-half of the duo would return this go-around; founder Khaela Maricich is now joined by Melissa Dyne, meaning Paper Television collaborator Jona Bechtolt (aka YACHT) is outta the picture. On top of that, their upcoming album (due Oct. 1) is self-titled, which sorta seemed like they were "rebranding" themselves (think: Ciara or Demi Lovato's recent rebirth-styled eponymous releases) for a larger, more pop-oriented audience that prefers cleaner production values than The Blow has historically offered.
Luckily, our fears were unfounded! If anything, "Make It Up" has less pop appeal than "Parentheses" -- not that there's anything wrong with that. "Make It Up" leads the listener in unexpected directions, thanks a less predictable melodic structure than that found in "Parentheses." But honestly? Even if the band had gone all poppy on us, we'd still be first in line to pick up The Blow on Oct. 1 because oh my gawwwwwwwd it's new music after seven years. In the end, we're only excited. Related: Beyoncé, please do not take this as implied consent that we will wait five more years for you to for-real release "Standing On The Sun." Also related: REGARDLESS, WE WILL OBVIOUSLY WAIT FIVE MORE YEARS.
