BLOXX — Lie Out Loud — Album Review
Pop Rock | Indie Rock
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
Lie Out Loud is the debut album from indie rock four-piece BLOXX, who are also a band that I didn’t really know of until this album, and it’s alluring album cover enticed me to give the record a go.
What impressed me almost instantly, is the upbeat energy, with a mixture of warm and cold moods, that normally go hand-in-hand with this time of year. And Lie Out Loud is certainly no exception to this. From the very moment the album’s title track led the project forward, I knew that I was at-least in for an enjoyable experience.
But there’s something that’s just so wonderfully straight-forward about the sense of enjoyment found on Lie Out Loud. There’s definitely the same kind of vibe I would expect from the likes of Estrons or Wolf Alice, in which there’s a sense of rawness to the sound, that I can definitely imagine would be made all-the-more enjoyable in a live performance. The album certainly doesn’t seem gimmicky in any way, nor does it take itself too seriously; it’s just a downright fun project to listen to, with some incredibly solid and catchy melodies to be found.
Some awesome examples of this are the wintery and bustling sound of “5000 Miles”, the vast and open soundscape of “It Won’t Work Out”, and of course my personal favourite track, which would have to be none other than “Off My Mind”, which absolutely oozes with Wolf Alice vibes, while structurally standing as one of BLOXX’s golden moments on this debut album of theirs.
I also find the writing of this album very engaging and refreshing too, as it is nice to hear so many ballads that are both directed at female love interests, and sung by the female vocalist that is Fee Booth. And in that sense, I imagine that this album has a very empowering quality, to those who love in a similar or same way.
But despite all of the positive aspects that this album’s enjoyable simplicity has, it does show to be a bit of a double-edged sword in parts of the project. There are a few tracks on here that, while not unenjoyable listens, were restrained by the traditions of indie rock just a little bit, and as a result came off as a bit bland or repetitive. I also feel that tracks like these did unfortunately affect the memorability of Lie Out Loud, which is very important for a debut album to possess that quality. But thankfully, it doesn’t damage that too severely.
But other than that minor nitpick, this album is an incredibly solid debut effort. And while the fact that it is so purely enjoyable, made it a difficult one to write a lot about, let it be known that I enjoyed this album considerably, and I will definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for an opportunity to see this band live.
Favourite Tracks: 5000 Miles | Off My Mind | It Won’t Work Out
Least Favourite Track: What You Needed
Chess Club | AWAL Recordings
