[rating=3.50]
Making the move from West Palm Beach, Florida to Brooklyn New York, couple Cari Rae and Jordy Asher relocated to continue their musical creation Blonds. Though they were receiving mild attention in Florida, New York gave them the chance to expand upon their music and their fan base. Working with producer Nicolas Vernhes (Dirty Projectors, Deerhunter, and Spoon) on their debut album, The Bad Ones, lent them the opportunity to develop their sound while maintaining creative freedoms. The effect is a thick coat of glaze finish over a splintered garage pop core.
Rae and Asher took the skeletal structure of their six-track EP Dark Roots and stretched it and although some creativity got lost in the process, their sound emerged clearer, darker, and more defined. The tracks on The Bad Ones seem more cliché in comparison to their EP and the main feel and topic of the album stay pretty much consistent throughout. The Bad Ones is a step in the right direction, even if it is a baby step and there is sure to be a following for these macabre lovers.
These are not typical love songs, though it is clear on the the title track and "Magic," instead it seems tainted- a Bonnie and Clyde love. "Run" evokes the same film noir feel as Rae belts bluesy, melodramatic vocals that uncoil the tragic demise of some vintage romance. "Mr. E" follows this theme with just a touch of 50’s James Bond. On “Falling” Rae lingers on every syllable in the most suitable way as she sings “Every time you kiss me, I’m falling like an angel” as if it is the most obvious choice in simile. Most of Blonds’ songs seem to exist only in slow-motion and when given thought, seem like they would correlate with a shade of deep burgundy. However there are a few twists in their tale: "Time" is uncharacteristically whimsical, "Locomotion" is the best contender for modern, upbeat rock, and on "Gospel Kid," Asher breaks away from harmonies and takes center stage. His voice sounds much more youthful in comparison to his sultry counterpart, but when their voices merge together the outcome is one that is maximized rather than compromised.
Blonds come across loose- like they only care half as much as they should, but it works for them in some blasé, cool factor/lo-fi lovers, garage lust way. Their elongated vocals and slow beats create a sound similar to Beach House, while there is also some modern ambition and grunge of the Dum Dum Girls. The past is a prominent influence in The Bad Ones. The duo grab form 1930’s histrionics, ’40’s jazz, ’50’s poise, some old Southern backbone, and Motown. In short, Blonds is a pair of old souls living in a modern world making music for the artsy, the cynical lovers, and all those scheming dreamers.
