Fronted by shape-shifting psych-rock marauder Matt Adams, Los Angeles band The Blank Tapes cranks out heady, fuzzed-out psychedelic jams that twist, contort, and reach for the stratospheres. Adams, a veteran of the LA psych scene, has released nearly a dozen records under The Blank Tapes moniker – dabbling in a wide spectrum of ’60s-influenced sounds including folk, surf-rock, pop, and soul. The group’s last album Candy was a highlight of 2018. Now featuring the formidable lineup of Avid Dancer, Jason Cirimele and Sugar Candy Mountain’s Will Halsey, The Blank Tapes’ new EP Super Bloom arrives today via Brown Truck Records, and it’s another powerful creative step forward for them.
Right out of the gate, Super Bloom is a chilled-out, dreamy, heady slice of psychedelia. The album’s self-titled opener contains sweeping, effervescent production – armed with wondrously warped melodies, dueling guitar noodling, fizzling atmospheric quirks, and Adams’ crisp, emotive croon. Meanwhile, “Exotica” is a searing tune featuring careening lo-fi riffs, towering instrumental crescendos, and an absolutely massive closing guitar solo. After that, “Sweat Lodge” plays like a winding spiritual journey – a trippy instrumental detour packed with airy keyboards, jangly banjo chords, rattling tambourines, and puncturing percussion. It’s a totally hypnotic mind-melter. From there, the EP features a rollicking, ’60s-inflected pop-rock jam (“Get Yourself Down”), a skittering lo-fi instrumental epic (“El Scorcho,”), and an ethereal keyboard-driven arrangement that brings the EP to a cathartic close. The energy never wanes from start to finish, and Adams’ ambitious sonic approach delivers at every turn.
Super Bloom is a nonstop series of soaring soundscapes, and yet another triumph for Adams and The Blank Tapes. Today, Impose is proud to premiere the EP. You can order it HERE, and listen to it below via Bandcamp. Also, you can check out The Blank Tapes’ upcoming tour dates below.
TOUR DATES:
5/29 – Pacifica CA, Winters Tavern
5/30 – Eureka CA, Siren’s Song
5/31 – Sisters OR, Suttle Lodge
6/1 – Salem OR, The Space
6/2 – Seattle WA, Sunset Tavern
6/3 – Bend OR, Volcanic Theatre Pub
6/4 – Medford OR, Johnny B’s
6/5 – Portland OR, Liquor Store
6/6 – Eugene OR, Sam Bond’s
6/8 – Sonoma CA, Huichica Music Festival
6/9 – Ojai CA, Greater Goods
6/11 – Venice CA, Townhouse / Speakeasy
6/12 – Flagstaff AZ, Hotel Monte Vista
6/13 – Santa Fe NM, El Rey Court
6/14 – Bisbee AZ, The Quarry
6/15 – Prescott AZ, The Raven Cafe
6/22 – Yucca Valley CA, Yucca Man Shakedown
6/23 – Palm Springs CA, Ace Hotel
7/19 – San Francisco CA, The Independent
7/20 – Los Angeles CA, House Of Machines
