The Blushing Gun EP Review - ROCKSPOSURE.....Be Heard

Album Review
The Blushing Gun EP Review

Article By Chris Brach

It was almost exactly a year ago that The Blushing Gun graced the airwaves of Rocksposure Radio for the first time when we featured them in an edition of SoundCheck.  Fast forward to April 2012, and thanks to their recently completed EP, you’ll find them in the Rocksposure headlines again. This time they’ve earned themselves the much deserved status: Artist of the Month.

The Blushing Gun is a fitting and unique name for these five guys out of Illinois, but in a lot of ways it also accurately describes their music.  Their new self titled EP is absolutely packed with emotion.  Some of it is soft spoken and timid while other aspects are raw and powerful. Having enjoyed their previous EP, I was far from surprised at the capabilities of The Blushing Gun; I was already more than familiar with how they like to deliver their brand of rock.  Everything about their music has always been well produced, played, and recorded.  That being said, the striking growth within the EP’s six songs is astounding for a band that was already playing at such an incredible level.  

Similar to last month’s Artist of the Month District Somnium, The Blushing Gun have put together a complex sound that is built around a number of different instruments and tempos.  You’ll be immersed in instrumental diversity from the very beginning as some out of the norm instruments evoke and enhance the true character within the songs: horns in “Demimondaine” proclaim the EP is open for business, the end of “Bleeding Fingertips” is accentuated with bells, and the strings in “King God Inc” add a feeling of discontent within its chorus.  All of these extra nuances push the self titled EP beyond what the traditional guitars and drums ever could.

The spirited, quick tune “Demimondaine” will be the first track that finds your speakers when you press play. Dominated by screaming horns and Athan Mireles’  drums, “Demimondaine” kicks the door open with its one of a kind style and flair.  The pace is quick and the song is extremely catchy; it’ll be in your head long after you’ve ventured on to other parts of the EP.

“Delicate” delves into the internal struggle of an on-again off-again relationship. “Baby I’m tired of trying”  cries lead singer Ian Moore as he breaks free of his somber tones and those laid down by Jesse Wagner’s piano during the early part of the track; all while he battles the internal struggle of whether it’s worth heading down that same old road again. Nicholas McClelland’s bass slowly thumps along almost painting a picture of Moore pacing the floor in agony over the decision he’s sorting out. As the tension within the lyrics builds, the track becomes a duet as Derick Kaptiena’s guitar follows Moore up and down the scale through the choruses. In a lot of ways, the two seem to fuse together better than some duets with two singers do.  It’s reminiscent of a technique you’d hear on some of Santana’s recent radio hits.

Another unique approach that The Blushing Gun employed on the EP has to do with the final mix of “Bleeding Fingertips”.  While there are lyrics through most of the song, the guitars are clearly more audible than the slightly tuned down vocals.  Not to take away from what Moore’s vocals add to the song, but the guitar work is so strong and has enough personality that they probably could have pulled this track off as an instrumental if they wanted to.  This is one of the best examples I’ve seen to date of a band building a signature sound around the strengths uncovered during their writing/recording process.  With a guitar track this vibrant, why bury it within the melody of the song?  If you’ve got it, flaunt it!

“Sadie and Max” and “King God Inc” pull in a more authoritative stance musically.  A tale of volatile romance, “Sadie and Max” storms along thanks to Moore’s passion filled vocals and Mireles’ drums.  Not to be missed is Kaptiena’s  Frusciante-esque solo that brings in the close of the song. It’s smooth, tempered, and dialed into the vibe of “Sadie and Max”.  “King God Inc” is the band’s anti-establishment song on the record that includes a memorable duel guitar solo in the middle. Their band bio ends: “ Someday, we all may get some guts, stop blushing, fight back, and fix our world.” This song embodies that mindset.

“Major Minor” brings a slow wrap to the EP, taking the opposite stance of the opener.   McClelland’s bass bumps the song along at a modest pace while Wagner’s keyboards lay down some nice effects.  There’s even room for Moore to let out one last round of powerfully delivered lyrics before the EP drifts off to a close.  It's a fitting end to the emotional journey that you just experienced known as The Blushing Gun.

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