Blis. – “Starting Fires in my Parents House” Review
Posted: by Sean Gonzalez
STREAM the EP on bandcamp while you read!
Mood swings come and go but Blis. take that to the next level on their new 4 song EP on Soft Speak, Starting Fires In My Parents House. Even the title of the record throws me off. Why would it be necessary to ignite the home of my childhood? Although that is just what it felt like growing up.
Hell, listening to the opening track ‘Floating Somewhere High And Above’ is a roller coaster in itself. The Atlanta band seemingly explode out of nowhere as the urgency of the vocals breakthrough the rest of the mix. The distortion rises and the primal screams grow with intensity and raw emotion.
The second track, ‘Savannah’ focuses more on creating a grungy monotone on top of catchy punk beats and intriguing melodies. Is it too early to tell people to remember this band name?
Moving into ‘Stationary Life’ brings about a completely new mood without much notice, because the transition is completely natural. The spacey dynamics come alive with backing vocals ‘oohing’ their way into heads and becoming ingrained in a satisfying way. The entire song is a dreamy atmosphere waiting for your mind to align the images.
The closing track ‘You Can Tell A Lot’ pulsates with Death Cab For Cutie styled progressions and harmonics, adding their own desperation by mixing in vulgar yells behind the loopy chorus singing. It is a random inspiration but so are the bands that Blis. list as their influences (American Football, Weatherbox, and Pedro the Lion). Starting Fires In My Parents House is a definite Ep to check out if emo/indie/Brand New are apart of your normal repertoire.
7.5/10
