Russell HughesBlindwish – Good Excuses (Rise Records)
Genre: Rock
From a Jimmy Eat World, early 2000s pop rock sound to heavier notes that could have come straight from a Mastodon brainstorming session, Blindwish have made the most of their influences to complete their debut album.
After being pushed to be a better lyricists by listening to bands like Atreyu, the Texas outfit have come away from the drawing board with a bit of a banger.
You don’t get signed to a label like Rise Records without having a little bit about you and Blindwish have more than a touch of their fellow label mates Dance Gavin Dance, Hands Like Houses and Teenage Bottlerocket about them.
After Midnight might be the first single from Good Excuses and the opening tune on the album but it’s overshadowed by following song Bittersweet with it’s clever turn of phrase and infectious rolling hook.
In fact, the album keeps on getting better and better with the introduction of Single Word that tantalises and teases with the darkness of Mastodon before banishing it back from where it came.
Blindwish even tease out some metalcore hooks, especially the beginning of Cold Shoulders in a move that binds them closer to their stable mates Of Mice & Men. The name of the album is taken from a line on Down, an introspective song about vocalist Zach David coming to terms with his poor choices and the excuses he made for them – and lyrically it continues the theme of having a strong presence on each song.
For a band who have only been in existence since March 2016, Blindwish have made an incredible amount of progress. Not only does their debut not feel rushed, it feels polished and well thought out and that takes stones.
RUSHONROCK RATED: 7/10 Whirlwind romance