Blue Apollo - Light Footed Hours + Circles (2017)

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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.