- Blisses B “You Should”
I feel like I’m a little behind the curve on this one given that this album has been out for over a year, but hey, when you get turned on to such a tasty nugget like You Should by San Francisco’s Blisses B, I can’t help but let you know what I think.
Blisses B may not have the coolest name in music (it’s a childhood nickname of one of the band members). What they do have is an incredible knack for musical exploration, breaking barriers between genres with reckless abandon. Pushing envelopes to blend bluegrass, rock and punk into an amalgamation of musical originality.
So, let’s just get into it. Kicking off the album is Juxtaposed. Right out of the gate Noah Libby’s voice grabs you and politely escorts you into the album. A minimalistic tune musically that’s largely banjo and drum brushes, Juxtaposed lets you get a feeling for the amazing vocal talent of Libby.
Track 3, Condone will relax you into a jazzy coma. Best to not drive while listening to it as the flute tracks will softly rock you into bliss.
Track 4, AQ takes you back to rock n’ roll circa 1986. More cowbell! Short bursts of guitar riffs, heavy cowbell and wild tempo changes make A.Q. one of my favorites on the album. It’s just a fun song to listen to.
Track 5, Open Hand, Weak Wrist, will remind you these guys are out to push it to places beyond the norm. An ethereal jam of sorts, track 5 won’t hit you strong at first but, like most good things, you have to give it time to grow on you…and it will.
Track 6, Surfing Boogie Boards, breaks out the mountain jam feel again with that front porch pickin’ feel. A great song as Libby negotiates the banjo pickin’ through his vocals and some nice fiddle in there too.
Track 7, When In Fact, is a great tune. I’m not sure exactly how to explain it. It’s like that song you’d hear at that moment in a film when the montage of self-realization happens and then concludes with the lead character finally “getting it.” Once again, Libby’s vocals hold you in their hands with a “relax, all’s good” softness to them.
Finally by Track 9, Wooden Ships, they bust out the funky sounds and kick it up a bit. Very Talking Heads-y. Dig it’s wild syncopation back and forth between slow beats and electronic jams.
Wrapping up the disc is the title track, You Should. A bluegrassy tune that will keep your toes tapping. Not exactly the way I would end an album but not exactly wrong either.
The fact is that Blisses B sets the bar for a genre of their own creation. The lead vocals of Noah Libby are the key to this album’s solid sound. He delivers regardless of whether it’s a rockin’ instrument heavy track or minimalist tune, a true mark of the professional.
Overall, I give You Should a rating of 4 out of 5. I hope you dig it like I did.
Blisses B is:
Ben Keegan: Guitar, Mandolin, Keyboard and Vocals
Noah Libby: Vocals, Guitar and Banjo
Matt McBride: Drums and Percussion
James Touzel: Upright Bass, Electric Bass, Clarinet and Vocals
