blusom

go slowly all the way round the outside

‘This is probably what it would sound like if you made love to a Macintosh computer. Now, I’m not suggesting that you kick it laptop-style with your G4 but, in this instance, the result of such a union sounds pretty good. Acoustic gone wild: Recording studio fantasies!!!

Sure, Blusom co-creator Mike Behrenhausen may have been screaming out his computer’s name or operating system as he tooled with buttons in the studio but his eyes were closed, thinking about Wayne Coyne and Thom Yorke. His efforts were not in vain, either. Behrenhausen, and someone known only as Jme, have channeled the two musical savants. Consequently, their influences weigh heavy upon these songs.

The tracks typically begin with acoustic progressions that routinely spiral off into ambient tangents. Blusom strips off the layers of structure in exchange for noises that, had they been used to begin the songs, would classify this band as psychedelic or even New Age. Instead, the record has a Brit noise-pop feel to it, minus the Brits.

This Denver-based band has created something both unique and inspired while still a fraction derivative. Ironically, this seems to be the fate of those who stray from the norm. Too many bands head in similar “different” directions. Still, it’s a criticism worth receiving when the options are considered. It’s better than being compared to Staind, Trapt, or any of the other in the mass of illiterate bands plaguing the airwaves.

“Go Slowly All the Way Round the Outside,” a title that seems to suggest a set of instructions on how to bypass copy-protected records, is guaranteed to pique the curiosity of its audience. It is a satisfying listen that may have the listener thinking The Flaming Lips.