Despite facing a plethora of competition from across the underground spectrum, I think it would be fair to say that Orlando’s Matt Welsh delivers one of the most cathartic records of 2020 in BLUVNBU’s The Awakening EP. Steeped in positive vibes that transcend lyrics to penetrate both the sonic and melodic realms of every composition it contains, The Awakening is hardly your standard alternative rock/pop-punk record. In seven appropriately-titled songs, Welsh drives home a consistent narrative, reminding listeners that even the darkest of tunnels has some light at the end of its run. It’s exactly the kind of EP rock needed this season, and absolutely one of my personal favorites.
The riffs are as pivotal to the mood of the music as any of the verses (and the beats they’re joined to) are in the progressive “Restore,” acoustic “Why” and sublimely smooth-rocking “Listen.” Thanks to the crisp audio quality featured throughout the tracklist, there’s never a moment in which any of the string tonality winds up sacrificed in the name of pop polish, which is always a plus in my book. If Welsh’s ultimate goal was to allow for us to feel this material as much as we hear it, saying he offers us a winner in this record might be just a little too much of an understatement.
There’s not a speck of bassline overindulgence to behold in this EP, and that’s a pretty big deal when taking into account just how common an issue that’s been in new rock records this year. The R.E.M.-influenced “Evolve,” “Responsible” and the aforementioned “Listen” are excellent examples of clean-cut equalization free of the excesses that frequently plague indie rockers of the millennial generation, and although it’s not the heaviest EP you’ll hear this season, The Awakening scarcely sounds anything less than beefy.
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You don’t have to be a professional critic like myself to acknowledge how awesome “Good For Me,” “One” and “Responsible” would be in a live setting. There’s so much potential still on the table for Matt Welsh to tap into under the BLUVNBU moniker in future endeavors, but by and large he produces an extended play here that gives us wonderful insight into what he can accomplish when there’s nothing present to stifle his creativity. The Awakening feels more like an LP than it ever does a mixtape, and in its class of records, that’s half the battle.
If you’re in need of an uplifting melodicism skewed with chest-pounding rock n’ roll machismo, BLUVNBU’s The Awakening is an EP that you’ll want to check out before the year expires. Matt Welsh is on fire from the opening cut “Restore” through to the closing number in “Evolve,” and while he’s a relative new face to mainstream listeners, it’s obvious that he’s bringing a lot of industry experience into the studio for this new project. I love what I’ve heard so far, and in the next few years, I think we’re going to see even more intriguing content from this brilliantly talented singer and songwriter.
Clay Burton