Local Music – Blind Commentary – ‘Eyes Open and Staring’

When reviewing a release for publication, I always try to give the work a good uninterrupted listen where I spew my thoughts on a notepad to later arrange into an article. between summer festivals, touring and general life obligations, that didn’t happen till today. While I did find the chance to have a few casual listens, today was my first true chance to devote energy to Saskatoon emo/shoegaze rockers Blind Commentary since the release of their debut EP ‘Eyes Open And Staring’ just under two weeks ago.

Opening on a slow burn titled, ‘Slowly, Quickly, Never Again,’ I found myself immediately sucked into the band’s world. Slowly swelling with ambient sounds akin to an airplane’s overhead beep washed with reverb, the track does an apt job of lulling the listener into a sense of tense relaxation until giving way to a gentle strummed electric guitar that sets the tone for the rest of the track. This track would best be described as a slow burn jam that slowly builds in intensity through its five minute run time – organically finding its way from subtle strumming to an all-out audio assault before finally giving way back to its relaxed strumming routes. The final moments of the track are accented by a filtered spoken word section delivering introspective lyrics about internal dialogue, personal growth and acceptance.

Track two, ‘Redmist,’ starts with a riff lead by bass chording with a tonality eerily similar to ‘In Utero’ era Nirvana. The track’s meandering vocals play on similar tonalities that play into the vague nineties vibe that Blind Commentary has established. In classic fashion to this trope, the track abruptly jumps from subtle and mellow verses full of tension to crushing choruses that utilize walls of fuzz and screaming backing vocals. This song does a great job of showing off the band’s dynamic range and sheer impact.

‘Candle,’ starts abruptly with a more upbeat and off-kilter feel that makes me think of Sonic Youth. Featuring a more driving rhythm vibe than the previous tracks along with more scream-centric vocals – ‘Candle’ immediately stands by itself and provides and welcomed sense of change at the point in a release when audiences typically get tired of the same old. This track also features more lead-centric guitar playing in a way that draws attention but is careful not to step on the vocals. I’d dare say this bridge section draws inspiration from Midwest emo acts like Tiny Moving Parts or Pinegrove.

The band’s debut EP comes to a close with the band’s most known (previously released) track, ‘Fragile.’ This one is a crowd (and my personal) favorite at live shows. Unapologetically anthemic choruses, a sing along hook and a slamming rhythm section that tells the listener exactly how to move. While the previous three tracks were all great for various reasons, “Fragile” stands out to me as the most fully-fledged and thought out musical idea on this record. Concise, lean, and mean.

If I can be critical, I’d say that this EP felt like it started slow and spent a good amount of time assuming the listener would wait for payoff. In the world of streaming and singles, a five minute intro song is frankly risky. I feel that the opening track may have served the band as a third track to break some tension following one of the heavier songs rather than how it was utilized in the track list. . With that being said, these comments are just subjective taste and as a whole, I really enjoyed this release!

All in, Blind Commentary have come out swinging on their debut release “Eyes Open And Staring” and I eagerly await what’s next for the Saskatoon four-piece. The band’s new EP is available now on all streaming platforms and the band will be playing a SOLD OUT album release show this Saturday, July 13th at Fairhaven Bowl.

Tags: saskatoon music, yxe, yxe music

About the Author

Matt Stinn is a Saskatoon-based award winning producer, touring musician, and cat lover. When not working in the music industry he hones his skills as an amateur writer and professional little spoon.