New Tune Review: Blankie S/T EP (2020)

Blankie’s self-titled EP (2020) is an introspective daydream. Soulful and subdued pop ballads serve as tomes to inner reflection while themes of self and love are lyrically expressed through concise and elaborate vocal arrangements. Mysterious instrumentals bare the enigmatic qualities of old film scores while embracing the lush, atmospheric tension of analog synthesizers. Blankie’s EP hides its complexity behind the illusion of simplicity. The production reveals a measured quality, highlighting its nuanced arrangements, and evokes a feeling between elation and melancholy.

A mantra of affirmation repeats through a sparse and plucking synthesizer. Its message of intent leaks through a thin wall of notes as a short wick burns to the tune of an interlude. Its synth driven melodies run through the expanse of a neo-noir bossanova track where spidery guitars loom over a radiator. Conversation that you’re not supposed to hear cut through the wound-up bass notes. The notes crawl like goosebumps that appear when holding a cold and haunted object. Sensations run down a pathway of  brand new nerves that lead us to the crux of a sleepy song where a quiet organ plays itself into sentience. Its steady notes carry a voice over ebbing verses and delicate, electronic percussion before they dissolve into time. A downtempo, 90’s pop song whispers through the grit of stock Honda speakers. An honest, truth-telling type of refrain dissolves into the shimmer of cymbals as a voice memo uncovers the secrets of a prototypical song. Its small, low-fi chords and wavy voice bring us to a quiet end.

Genres: Pop, Synth-pop, Downtempo, R&B, Soul
Associated Acts: Dan Prjct, Pokies!!!, Hungry for Vladimir