The debut album by indie artist Blunt Blade is a masterpiece of musical artistry that finds the artist exploring darkwave, avant-garde, art-rock, disco and other genres with tremendous verve and dynamicity.
Blunt Blade made this project special, it’s a huge mix of music genres in a way that everything dances “the waltz” in harmony. But don’t get confused with our analogy, it’s all about rock!
Producers from PopHits.Co defined the singer’s release as an outpouring of emotions, creativity and sonic complexity.
You might claim it’s too different to be popular and you might be right, but you can’t deny the quality or the genius behind this pure artistic expression.
There are a lot of indie artists that we have found and discovered through our research and through recommendations. But few of them are open-minded like Blunt Blade.
All tracks were written, arranged, and recorded by Blunt Blade who showcases here his vast experience with music.
From an early age, he began singing and playing the piano, guitar, bass, and drums. At age 16, he founded the cover band Chainsaw Vendetta (originally named Chainsaw Vasectomy) as lead guitarist and lead singer. Now releasing his solo project.
This singer and producer is an American alternative pop-rock artist that combines aspects of electronic music, indie rock, darkwave, and art rock to create an album like no other in terms of creativity. You can listen to our full playlist which contains the artist’s music, and know more about the artist’s work by scrolling down the page.
Among Blunt Blade’s influences are Radiohead, Miles Davis, Tame Impala, Talking Heads, Metric, Soundgarden, Tool, Phish, Dream Theater, Muse, Frank Zappa, and Blond Redhead to name a few. In addition, he is inspired by personal challenges and the will to succeed.
We can say that Blunt Blade’s music is a kaleidoscopic platter of sonic complexity that does more than just twist and turn, it erupts and surprises the listener at every opportunity.
The 11 tracks fuse dozens of unique genres and effects into a hypnotic blend that grabs your attention and never lets us go.
From Winona, Blade decided to reach Europe and produced the “Blunt Blade” album that is now arriving in the United Kingdom.
In regards to the production of his last EP, it was made by Aaron Ruppert at Sharpening Stone Records in Winona, MN. Eric Oehler mixed and mastered the album at Submersible Studios in Madison, WI.
Blunt Blade is very grateful for all its contributions and also mentions a special thanks to Adam Snyder at Bootleg Recording in Sacramento, CA and fellow recording artist Nolan Schmidt who also put exceptional effort into making this project come to life.
We can see that the album is featuring a distinctive style that demonstrates the artist’s and producer’s knack for combining genres and creating a sound that is entirely their own, we mean “originality”, which is very difficult to find nowadays.
A melodic base is never lost in the complex vocal arrangements and instrumentation of the album. There are common lyrical themes of pain, empathy, and hope throughout the album, even though it is not conceptual in the traditional sense.
In terms of music, it ranges from moody to joyful, even within individual tracks. In “Tension”, a common thread is layered with a funky base that somehow suits its soft yet intense nature. The track, correspondingly, begins with a sultry yet dissonant synth.
There is then a switch to pop vocals, which slowly turns into a darkwave ballad halfway through the track. This entire song is one big build but it’s not overpowering — rather, it envelops the listener in its warmth.
As mentioned, there are more than ten tracks for us to explore, but all of them showcase Blunt Blade’s ability to blend genres seamlessly within individual songs, making for an incredibly varied listening experience throughout the entire album.
As we go deeper into the album, we find ourselves transported into another world with songs such as “Outsider”. The soundscape created by this track has elements of pop rock fused together with darkwave vibes.
It’s clear that Blunt Blade have a lot of influences from other artists and based his production on the 80s music characteristics too, to achieve a retro pop and nostalgic feel, stimulating emotions and understanding of messages. The artist leaves a message to the readers as well:
“Quiet your mind. You have strength, you’ll see. Pull your pride. Release what you can’t foresee.”
Blunt Blade
If you are curious to find out more about the meaning of each song, then the following is a list of all the main tracks on the album that you can check out:
- “Light Meadows” tells the story of isolation and the loss of hope that is only overcome with the presence of someone who shows kindness and love, wrapped in a simple melody.
- “Outsider” has themes of being an outcast. The name itself defines the song’s feel which, unlike the other tracks on the album, has an entirely different feel akin to a classic dance composition.
- “The Sad Clown” features runs of piano arpeggios and haunting changes while telling the story of the dangers of pride and lack of humility.
- “The End” is a meaningful coda and a song befitting its name in both placements on the album and its sense of closure.
As we come closer to the end of this fantastic journey through music, we will leave it for you to explore. Check it out, visit his website and follow him on Spotify.
