blue river - x marks the spot

Blue River 

X Marks The Spot
self-released; 2014

3.6 out of 5

By Eva Cantillo

Hailing from the UK, Blue River releases their latest EP X Marks the Spot. This production is built of strong indie pop vibes and the three-member band emits tons of enthusiasm and talent in this three-track release. The entire collection of songs is upbeat and embodies the ongoings of youth, partying, love, and longing all set within a bright and well-composed set of pop songs.

The opening track “ Return of the Sun” really captures the style of the band and gives its audiences a vibrant and lively indie rock song to vibrate to. The upbeat guitar and continuous drum patterns ground this song and make it a great track for a block party. “I’m heading over, with the sun shining…  return of the sun,” the song just makes me want to party and stay up all night just to watch the sunrise. Yet ironically, the following track is titled “I’m Not Going Out Tonight.” This song is a bit more turned down yet still maintains a fast rhythm. The song really gives the listener the feeling of not wanting to go out and just staying in; “it’s not my scene, there must be somewhere better to be.” This song has a strong composition and there are great transitions between the chorus and the middle segments. After a while the song becomes catchy, as it is more than ten minutes long. There are some very pleasant guitar chords toward the end that remind me of sounds from bands like 311.

The last track on the EP, “Artful Dodger,” starts off with a bit of a more edgy feel, more so than the other tracks and then dives into a super fast rock adventure. “It’s a funny little thing, I don’t believe in you,” the song seems to be about a sour relationship and the art of “dodging” the sticky situation at hand.

Blue River is clearly full of energy and each song on X Marks the Spot has its own unique story to tell that I think anyone in their bright and fruitful youth can relate to. It is quintessential British pop rock and people into the genre no matter where they are located can dig these vibes. Production quality on the album is notable as well as all notes and lyrics are well heard and represented fully.

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