Canadian art-punk quartet shares another shapeshifting track off forthcoming EP
Blessed is a forward-thinking Canadian art rock quartet with a knack for angular, shapeshifting melodies and experimental arrangements. Hailing from the rural town of Fraser Valley in British Columbia, their sharp 2019 debut LP Salt put them on the map, and now they’re gearing up to release their new EP iii. So far we’ve heard the heady piano-heavy track “Structure,” and today they’ve shared another taste of the record, the frenetic and bold “Centre.”
A swirl of puncturing synths give way to singer Drew Riekman’s soulful vocals. Eventually, a bevy of arpeggio-heavy riffage and pummeling rhythms and percussion comes flooding in. It’s a hypnotic, jumbled mess of sounds blending elements of math rock, post-punk, prog – calculated chaos through and through. iii looks to be another chameleonic effort from Blessed, and according to Riekman, the EP’s compositions (and artwork) reflect his own struggles with anxiety and agoraphobia.
iii arrives on February 19 via Flemish Eye; you can pre-order it HERE and check out the nervy video for “Centre” below.
