Blush is a lovely electro record from Mexico City Blondes (Greg Doscher and Allie Thompson) that blends dub beats, trip hop touches, and lounge jazz.
The album opens with the snappy, funky “Out to Dry,” with Thompson’s vocals hopping around Doscher’s processed beats and effective rhythm guitar work. As soon as you hear “Addio,” you realize the decision to make it the first single from Blush was a no-brainer. The Blondes make no attempt to hide their love of Portishead as Thompson’s vocals move like a warm breeze across a rooftop nightclub full of frisky people.
“Road Noise” builds to a cool groove for the afterparty following that rooftop nightclub. Thompson’s vocals on “Thick as Thieves” remind me of Emily Haines from Metric, but Doscher keeps the track from drifting into stadium rock by rooting it with elements of synth wave in-between the electro-pop. The rattlesnake-like beats of “Yellow Sunshine” add a thrilling touch to the adventure offered by Thompson’s lyrics (“We are only looking for peace of mind. We are always keeping our eyes on the prize.”).
“Thin Line” has Thompson revealing dark secrets as she sings, “I know what it’s like on the other side.” Doscher brings in an acoustic guitar to surprise us at the beginning of “Crimson” as the beats and Thompson’s vocals swell to a trippy bliss. Thompson’s vocals are especially lovely as she sings about the risks of love on “Off the Hook.” “Sunny Day” is deceptively heavy (and those little saxophone flairs!) and deserves to be mixed by DJ’s worldwide. “All night, I keep on thinkin that you’ll never change,” Thompson sings on “All Night.” She knows she’s in a relationship that will ultimately go nowhere, but she can’t resist the moments as they come. “Reasons Why” flows well between dance beats, ambient synths, and trip hop flavors. The album closes with “Planet Caravan,” the sexiest song on the album with its languid guitars, Thompson’s mirage-like vocals, and slow seduction beats.
So far, Blush is the best make-out record I’ve heard this year. It’s also one of the best chill records and electro records I’ve heard so far in 2019. You’ll dig it.
Keep your mind open.
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