Sometimes, our emotions can leave us in a strange state. Devastating life events and epiphanies can leave you with feelings that can be difficult to communicate. Bill Owens grapples with these complex emotions with the release of a new Blunt Objects album, “Shady Shadows.”
“My Best Friend” opens the album in a strong way. The solitary horn of the train offers a stark juxtaposition to the high-intensity synths that follow it. The flow is easy to fall into with the slow, psychedelic vocals cradling the musical chaos. The vocal aesthetic matches the lyrics of longing for a time long past and the moments of realization that brought about the emotion epiphany, with lines such as “this song is dedicated to my best friend, whose name I’ve since forgotten” and “learned a few new games I never thought I’d have to play. Thought my time of leisure was here to stay” hitting hard with the weight of the emotional longing behind them. It makes for a genuinely interesting intro track that offers an air of mysterious contemplation through the high-energy synth beats combined with evocative vocals, right down to the mysterious train horn of the intro.
“I’m Going To Hell” has a psychedelic retro-style synth intro that does a great job at building up the track, which kicks it off perfectly when Bill Owens gives a dry “I think I’m goin’ to Hell.” The retro style synth groove is buttery smooth when it bounces off the percussion to deliver some trippy moments of synthpop perfection. The lyrics and vocal performance are somber and contemplative, complementing the track before it. Lines such as “I never sold my soul, as near as I recall. But I’m assured there are many paths to hell” and “my road is paved, with all the things I said I’d do, but never got around to” paint a picture of a regret and sorrow that is easily understood each time you hear the chorus.
“Time” is a track that shouldn’t be missed. The guitar instantly grabs your attention as the stringy riffs dance with the heavy percussion. The drums slam with a commanding authority that guides the track and gives it its pulse. The stringy plucks and licks from the guitars are free-wheeling and whimsical, giving the track a mysterious edge. Instrumentally, this track makes an impression right from the top with its unique personality, making it instantly stand out.
“She’s Going Away” starts with psychedelic synths accompanying smooth guitar strumming for a brief moment before the tracks go into overdrive. The beat of the drums makes it easy to feel music and the bouncy bass groove makes it easy to get up out of your seat and dance to the track, with Bill Owens’ vocal performance bringing a solid indie rock aesthetic to the track. The juxtaposition between this bouncy dance groove and the mournful lyrical aesthetic, however, is instantly felt during the first chorus. Even though it’s easy to move to, the emotion will always hit the listener when they hear the lines “and it’s a gray day today. I couldn’t beg her to stay.”
“Shady Shadows” is an exciting listen. From the top, the album grabs your attention with mysterious musical aesthetics in “Best Friend” and proceeds to take the listener on an eclectic and emotional ride. The way this Blunt Objects album changes is full of musical twists and turns to tell an emotional story of loss, regret and the emotions that come along with those feelings. These are juxtaposed with some fun and energetic instrumentals, which gives “Shady Shadows” an interesting personality when taken as a whole. This combined with its genre-bending musical flow from track to track make it the perfect album for someone looking for a different style of synth pop.
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