De Blimp - Kill Artist
De Blimp are a band from Ontario, Canada. Their songs borrow heavily from psychedelic rock and blues, while also incorporating a wide range of styles from avant-garde to new-wave. While being a relatively new band on the scene, their music is stark and already making some waves. Rightfully so; their music is impressive.
Mother Apple opens the album in a disjointed, yet delightful manner. The playful progression of the track is sublime, and the contrast of psychedelic blues and garage rock works very well. Barrel Due continues the trend in a more subdued manner; the track is cruisy, though doesn’t have much of a lasting impression until the elegant jam towards the end – a section that could certainly have been fleshed out. Déranger is an exceptionally mellow, moody piece with beautiful vocals; perhaps my favourite track on the album. The song is strikingly similar to Mercury Rev’s Downs are Femenine Balloons, while simultaneously oozing with its own artistic personality. 1993 is a lively experiment that results in an entertaining jam, yet sadly ends in a fadeout. Twelve boasts childlike, eccentric vocals and playful flutes. The ending section feels like a twisted carnival ride gone wrong. It bleeds exceptionally well into the next track, Lovely Melody; a quick throwback to the psychedelic qubits of Gong. Skies Amide contains a lustrous chord progression, backed by hazy manipulated guitars and pulsating dreamy strums. The vocals weave in and out quite magically. Tight production and dreary vocals shine throughout Father Figure – a perverse coterie of obsequious chatter and mildly psychedelic instrumentation. Danke Dir boasts fantastic orderly drumming and colourful riffs. Visimo is very off-key, though masterfully so; it incorporates the chill vibes present of early Mac Demarco, while concurrently sculpting its own personality. cCLOUDDEAD’s structure and vocal delivery is present throughout Bullet Made Vest – a deign detour that good-humouredly breaks its own conventions. Off the Exterior is funky, weird, and unpredictable; the experimental second half of the song is beautiful and something I wish was fleshed out more. Fluid Motion is a short, albeit charming distraction. The fantastic song streak continues with Ocean of a Sky, boasting an intricate yet spastic percussion and a hypnotic atmosphere. The track is slightly held back by its midi drums, though the energy certainly makes up for it. Sunshine in Pouring Rain is a delightful ending to the album; it provides closure, yet makes one beg for more. The psychedelic blues are the perfect match to the unperturbed garage rock production. When it comes to genre-defying experiences, De Blimp is at the top of the game.
The range exhibited throughout its track-listing makes Kill Artist a delightful listening experience. The vocals boast a lot of personality, though in future I would like to see more variation in pitch. The artist’s style is very much like Ween, while the album’s structure reminds me intensely of Sebadoh’s III. This is a major strength of the album, while simultaneously being its greatest flaw – it doesn’t deter too much from the format that inspired it. Moreover, the songs have very little dynamic and progression between them – they are one trick-ponies. Some songs could have been fleshed out longer, some could have been condensed. Nevertheless, De Blimp does incorporate quite a unique blend of genres; sparking curiosity within the listener as to what delightful surprise are next. Moreover, the mixing here is spot-on. The album is solid and deserving of attention - if only it were longer.
Really Good
Have a listen here:
https://deblimp.bandcamp.com/releases
or
De Blimp - Kill Artist
