Forgiveness

Forgiveness by BLUNT BLADE is an eclectic and uncompromising project recorded at the world famous Abbey Road Studios. They seem to have captured some of the magic in those hallowed grounds and bottled it up in this latest project. The band have transcended a lot of different tonal boundaries as well as genres in this album. The project feels like an amalgamation of different moments, brought together through this consistent perspective and a musical chemistry between the artists involved. Those two constants are what tie the project together and give the artists the confidence to innovate so heavily in the other aspects of the album.

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The opening track, Sprawling, has a more traditional indie rock tone. It conveys confidence through layers of crunchy guitars overlapping one another. The use of distortion is excellent here, not only does it harken back to indie rock of the past but it also adds a textural diversity which contrast the softness of the vocals. Together, the vocals and the guitar form these juxtaposing textural layers that emphasise each other's strengths with their contrast. Helpless changes the tone pretty dramatically, moving away from the emotionally charged alternative rock of the opening of the track to a more avant garde, electronic track with some vintage elements. The synths have a crackle to their sound that adds to the atmosphere of the song and their speedy pace injects the project with some energy that changes the tone in a really exciting way. The fact that they can excel in these two vastly different tonal palettes is a testament to their brave vision and seasoned creative prowess. The final track, Forgiveness, falls into this second category, with a bold and refined vocal style, this track feels rigid and tight, allowing emotion to peak out of the subtleties in the vocal delivery and synth accompaniment. I love the variety and also the depth in these tracks. They mixed chalk and cheese and turned it into strawberries and cream.