Moose Blood – Blush
Review by Annette Hansen
I’ll be the first to admit that a lot of emo music really bores me. But it’s because of this that I’m really impressed when an emo band comes along and manages to stand out from all the monotony. Throughout this summer, Moose Blood has been one of those bands, and with their sophomore album Blush, I’m more than certain that they are a band worth paying attention to.
While their debut album I’ll Keep You In Mind From Time To Time garnered the band a lot of good buzz, it’s Blush that really shows listeners a band that is not afraid of growing and improving upon their craft. With Blush, Moose Blood has really refined their sound, offering up a number of songs with great hooks and melodies that just make you feel.
With this album, Moose Blood really focused in on their experiences of being away from loved ones and the struggles they’ve faced in keeping those relationships intact. This theme is even what rounds out the album with being particularly evident on both the opening (“Pastel”) and closing (“Freckle”) tracks. As you listen through the album and its varying emotions, it’s hard not to feel right along with them especially on tracks like the desperate “Shimmer” and the heartbreaking “Spring.” The former with both its musical and emotional crescendo and the latter with it’s simple, sweet and haunting melody.
The darker sides of this album are really offset by relentlessly and infectiously bright instrumentals. These songs are filled with the kind of melodies that could easily be the backdrop to a lighthearted summer night. And while Blush is not all sunshine and rainbows, it’s this that gives the album a pleasantly hopeful twist.
Where this album is one step away from greatness for me is in its occasional lackluster nature. While Blush really shows that Moose Blood is far from boring, the album is not free from moments that are not quite up to par, most noticeably in the album’s mid-section with less memorable tracks like “Sulk” and “Glow.”
What Blush does do for me, however, is show me a band that is willing to put in the effort to make good music and a band that will be exciting to watch as they continue to progress with their sound and their career. With Blush now stuck in my head, Moose Blood is a bandwagon I’m happy to be on board with.
Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Recommended Tracks: “Knuckles,” “Cheek” & “Spring”
