By Glen Ess (The Cascade) – Email
It’s post-punklandia out here in the northwest, a land where the punk, post-punk, and noise-rock genres thrive. Abbotsford’s Blessed are the latest to emerge from the bubbling scene that birthed the likes of Greys and White Lung. It could be argued that Blessed, currently on tour and working their way east, constitute a supergroup formed from the Abby scene — members of the quartet boast a history which includes the likes of GSTS, Casinos, Little Wild, and Open Letters. It’s quite the pedigree.
With their self-titled debut EP, Blessed have cemented themselves as key players in the local music community, and have drawn praise from the likes of Exclaim!, Noisey, and BeatRoute. And rightly so, because the EP is a fascinating and thrilling one. From the first notes of “Waving Hand” all the way to very end of “Feel,” this four track EP sets Blessed apart from their contemporaries here in the Valley.
The EP manages to be rough, uncontrolled, and passionate, while still being a very precise, tightly produced, cohesive record. This is mostly (but not entirely) due to the ease with which guitarists Reuban Hoewling and Drew Riekman are able to switch tempo at a moment’s notice. This technique is most clearly apparent in “Cop” and “Feel” but present in all four tracks in some form, coupled with Jake Holmes’ drumming and Mitchell Trainor’s bass. Blessed mine their members’ talents for versatility — transitioning seamlessly from being the loudest, most abrasive thing you’ve ever heard, to a cross between Ought and a slightly angrier Interpol.
This would-be disparity is held together by Riekman’s vocals — a drawl that sounds bored and angry at the same time — and his ability to belt out the lyrics (particularly in “Waving Hand”), providing a structure around which he and Hoewling can alternate their guitar playing between a fuzzed-up, grimy noise rock and a more melodic indie rock.
“Repossess,” the EP’s third track, is probably the most eclectic song I’ve heard all year; it bounces around with a strange sort of glee. One moment it’s a post-punk masterpiece, later on it’s a softer Mogwai imitation — there’s even a classic rock riff that pops up every now and then before the track culminates with an alt-rock finale. All of this occurs over a five minute span, which is a feat in and of itself, but it isn’t even the biggest feat on the record. That honour goes to “Cop.”
“Cop” is a song that features all four members of Blessed performing at their best. It’s got sudden changes in direction, passionate yet strangely relaxed vocals, and it’s also the track where Holmes’ drumming really shines. If I had to put money on which song would really take Blessed to the next level, I’d pick “Cop.”
That said, no record is perfect, and Blessed does have some minor faults. Its production is along the same lines as other post-punk records and doesn’t really bring anything new to the table. Riekman’s vocals sound as though he’s a mile away from the microphone, and despite his great delivery, they can get a little muddled. Additionally, the record as a whole is a little too reverb-heavy. It’s also too damn short. While it is an exhaustive and intense record to listen to, it always leaves you wanting just a little bit more.
