by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Vancouver’s Blessed are one of the hardest working bands you’ll ever come across. Since forming back in 2016, the quartet have either been on the road, earning them a reputation as a must-see live band, or tirelessly progressing their sound, EP after EP, album after album. It’s a hard fought trajectory, but the kind you like to see, an impeccable band earning themselves a word-of-mouth (borderline cult) following through sheer determination and a willingness to experiment with the formula. What began as a complex cross between tense garage punk and post-hardcore has expanded and shifted over the years toward haunting minimalist post-punk and icy cold art rock. The band’s melodic nuances and song structures are what defines their performances, offering a humanity and emotional resonance amid their mechanical tension, setting them apart from so many of their contemporaries.
With the band’s sophomore album, Circuitous, out October 28th via Flemish Eye (Preoccupations, The Besnard Lakes), they’ve once again made another stride forward, embracing hooks that snap into place, fitting unlikely pieces together in a way that’s easily digestible. We’ve heard that band complex and jarring, and now they’ve proven they can be complex yet evocatively catchy. The album’s second single “Redefine” is a perfect example, an expansive track that absolutely dazzles with peaks and valleys taking shape over natural progressions, tangling themselves ever so slightly, while tempos expand and collapse. Yet, for all the technicality, and there is a brilliant display of their collective abilities, it’s the psychedelic texture of melodies and the strength of the vocal hooks that often steal the show. We hang on the words in the same way we do the snaking guitars, synths, and drums, wondering where it will go next, but enjoying the ride all the same.
In addition to the new single and album, Blessed have announced a run of tour dates together with Stuck. All dates can be found below.
TOUR DATES:
11/17 - Winnipeg, MB - The GoodWill
11/18 - Saskatoon, SK - The Black Cat
11/19 - Calgary, AB - Palomino
11/20 - Edmonton, AB - The Aviary
11/23 - Vancouver, BC - The Red Gate
11/25 - Seattle, WA - Clock Out
11/26 - Portland, OR - High Water Mark
11/28 - Sacramento, CA - The Starlet Room
11/29 - San Francisco, CA - The Knockout
11/30 - Los Angeles, CA - Gold Diggers
12/01 - Long Beach, CA - Alex’s Bar
12/04 - El Paso, TX - Mona
12/06 - Austin, TX - Hotel Vegas
12/07 - Denton, TX - Andy’s Bar
12/08 - Fayetteville, AR - Smoke And Barrel
12/09 - St Louis, MO - Heavy Anchor
12/10 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle