BEST TRACKS: I Believe you, Problems, Whatever I Want, Trimmer
FCC violations: Porch
Recommended if you like bands like Microwave, Culture Abuse, or Turnover.
This album is nothing short of cathartic. Big Blue is, without doubt, the best album that has come across my desk this year. Dead Soft is a three-piece grunge-punk band from Vancouver. They have been silently lurking in the shadows of Canadian underground music since 2011 but in recent years, a mist of excitement started to amass around Dead Soft. People started noticing Dead Soft for the energy and depth they brought to the table.
After three years of culminating and refining, Dead Soft has come out and seized the entire scene by its throat with their first full length debut.
Being the die-hard for fuzz that I am, I instantly fell in love with this album as soon as I heard the whiny feedback kick in at the beginning of track 1, I Believe You. The intoxicating, fuzz-drenched rise-and-fall intensity carries throughout the entire album. Vocals range from full-throated yelling to soft and flowing. Big Blue isn’t just all about loud noise. The choruses hit hard with bold, melodic hooks. No two songs on this album sound the same, which is the sign of hard work poured into an album. Surprise breakdowns and crashing of drums will keep you on your toes.
Dead Soft writes melancholic yet optimistic lyrics. From the deeply raw and emotional outpour that exudes from words so passionately sung, you can easily tell that these songs were written from the heart. The feral way vocalist Nathaniel Epp screams “into a black hole” on track 3, Step Out, will have the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end. Overall, this album is powerful, and I can’t get enough of it. I think I have a crush.
I will definitely be keeping an eye on this band. I hope to see them continue to make strides and I’m excitedly awaiting their next release.
-Safia