OFFICIAL: http://blueapollomusic.com/
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Written
by Frank McClure, posted by blog admin
The
members of Blue Apollo’s (a group of Dallas, TX pop/indie rockers) history
stems back to their paths crossing at the Southern Methodist University’s
Meadows School of the Arts. During their
time at the school the future band mates formed a strong bond that encompassed
similar musical and artistic tastes which led to the formation of project. Though now a four-piece, most likely due to
the fact that their debut EP Light-Footed
Hours requires several segments of piano/organ/cello in addition to basic
rock n’ roll instrumentation, this trio rocks hard and sinks deep into subtlety
on this flagship six-song offering.
Points
of comparison are difficult to come by but the individual players’ list John
Mayer and Maroon 5 for starters. One
could also say that they draw from the 90s indie-rock scene, catchy pop music,
a touch of hard rock and a little bit in the way of orchestrated chamber
music. It’s a unique and entertaining
mix that keeps the listener guessing throughout. Jeremiah Jensen’s lays right into lead-in
number “Walls” with a shaking, trembling beat that’s heavy on the snares and
tapping rim shots. Musically, the tune
shoots right into perpetual motion with the percussion being joined by an
aquatic bass line, stream of consciousness melody vocals and glowing electric
guitars with nearly all of the distortion pared down. Immaculate layering and building continually
piles on numerous jangle-pop guitar lines and polyrhythmic backbeats in an
infectious take on The Cure’s contagious post-punk minus the goth
intentions. Eventually sizzling bits of
electric guitar and rabid jazz cymbal ghosting lend the cut everything it needs
to become the multifaceted musical monster it strove for from the first note. “Feeling Right” allows guitarist/vocalist
Luke Nassar to mix several guitar styles into a distinctive whole; from
tuneful, highly melodic indie-licks that are quickly picked to funky down-strum
to wailing old school rock leads, Nassar is able to run the complete gamut of
expression in this hip-shaking, mid-paced rocker. The rhythm section plays with flash and
panache but never speeds up too much, valuing tight, compacted playing in favor
of speed thrills. Though classified as
indie-rock, this band proves that they are much more than any label could tag
them with. Wraparound guitar licks
render “Therapy” an immediate standout as a melody-intensive pop rocker that
hits all of the right chords and sends the hook-riddled chorus arrangement
right out of the park with a grand slam homerun. “Avalanche” and “Meant to Be” are a superb
couplet of tracks and make for an interesting pair to analyze while the EP
plays through. Both more or less begin
with a lengthy passage of Nassar singing back by a solo instrument (in
“Avalanche” it’s piano and in “Meant to Be” it’s the singer’s own acoustic
guitar), but once both pieces progress beyond their middle waypoints it’s an exercise in no-holds barred rock where even the
instrumentation is tougher than any of the other tracks on the EP. Closer “Circles” returns to the symphonic pop
swagger of “Therapy” and couldn’t end this recording on a better note.
Though
Blue Apollo wears certain influences on the band members’ collective sleeves,
they still manage to come up with a sound that’s quite eclectic and
original. They have zero trepidation
about combining disparate styles into a single song while making it work to
boot. Fans of edgy pop rock should
definitely make room in their collection for Light-Footed Hours.
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