Demon Slayer

 

The Blue Herons

Demon Slayer

(Shelflife)

I’ve received constructive criticism a few times over the years about my style of album write ups.  When I write them, I almost always tie them into my personal life.  I understand this critique and feel it deeply.  My efforts to change have not gone very well however, because I find it incredibly difficult to separate my love of music from my own experiences and emotions.  Nearly every memory I have is tied to what music was in my life during those times.  Besides, I find that my writing skills are not creative enough to write an interesting clinical straight forward review.  So, I simply do what I do and hope that I can convince a person to support my limited recommendations, and that I do not bore them with my asides and needless anecdotes.

Demon Slayer, the second long player by the intercontinental duo The Blue Herons is the perfect example of why I struggle to extract music from my own life, and why I become excited to share their incredible music with anyone and everyone I happen to encounter.  This album has come at a perfect time for me – like an ambulance rushing to a devastating car crash.  Over the past couple of years I have been focused intently on improving my health after the prior 25 years of very severe medical issues.  This focus has had several speed bumps along the way, as I’ve tried to take advantage of every therapy I can access, but I feel like I’m seeing the positive results from my hard work, only to feel like it’s being taken away by bureaucracy and nasty politics.  I feel like I am describing the title track from this album, “Demon Slayer” (“you gotta get up and go / you gotta slay those demons / before they deprive you of hope”). 

 For maybe the first time in my life, I’ve been trying to accept and learn how to open myself up to the world and allow others to see what’s really going on with me.  I’m done with trying to be stoic and unshakable.  I’m tired of refusing offers of help.  It’s a lonely existence and I’m feeling that.  Man, am I FEELING that, and this album helps assuage those black holes.  This amazing collection of songs are really about the ephemeral fiber that makes us all who we are as individuals and the power of honestly recognizing our own needs and wants – the very thing I’ve been neglecting for most of my life.  It’s that stuff between the purely biological physical being and the conscious mind that, for so many of us, sabotages so much of what we actually stand for.  How many times have you said something that you’ve regretted?  It’s as though there’s a layer to all of us that we all know and can recognize, but it’s an intangible.  Am I talking out my ass?  I think this is where so much of our likes and dislikes come from.  Why are some people so especially attractive to us beyond their physical attributes?  This is a realm where love and music lie.  This is where The Blue Herons thrive.

Gretchen DeVault’s words here are intensely personal.  Her vocals are wonderfully effervescent and musical and she has an incredible knack for turning a phrase into a magical earworm, but damn there’s a profoundness and intensity here that belies the breezy beauty of these addictive songs.  Andy Jossi’s musicianship is unbelievably intricate and impressive, as his knack for drama fits these songs perfectly by providing the proper depth they deserve.  

The emotional high comes early for me as the double feature of “Silent” and “Fight or Flight” appear as tracks three and four landing in the first third of the LP.  These two songs find the Blue Herons stretching out their abilities and style into a more melancholy sound.  Though it does not sound like The Sundays, “Silent” reminds me of one of their finest achievements: “Goodbye.”  It’s in the way they are both built on acoustic guitar strums, stratospheric arpeggios and a burbling bassline.  I really identify with the chorus of “Silent” as DeVault majestically pleads to “please let me off this ride / ‘cause I’ve lost myself / in these lows and highs.”  There’s a spine tingling power in her desire to stop from being overwhelmed.  I think a lot of us have been feeling those lows and highs and nothing in between for a long time now making the emotional core of “Silent” that much more effective.  Here is my one nitpick:  “Silent” should not fade out.  This is where Andy’s penchant for spectualr explosive finales is required!  I would gladly revel in an extended stretch here.  Speaking of emotion, “Fight or Flight” quietly builds from a gentle reference of blue skies to storm clouds on the horizon.  This song is about fear and dread as it swells and surges with appropriate turbulence.  Jossi has endowed the music with a cinematic drama that reminds me of the bitter apex of “Polaroids” by the all-time great Kitchens of Distinction and when the celestial peaks here DeVault emotionally begs to be able to “stay” – to keep safe from those storm clouds, whether figurative from so much divisiveness currently running through our collective veins or literally as more and more of us are being struck by “natural” disaster.  Those storm clouds could be anything that scare us, and when she sings the closing chorus refrain “is there any way to stay / to hold it all in / or to push it all away,” we can feel the fear like a rush of overwhelming emotion that suddenly bursts into our nose and eyes. 

Demon Slayer opens with the perfect pop of “Take a Break,” which is so catchy that it immediately begs to be heard over and over.  The patience preached in the song is a valuable lesson for all of us as, just as is the lesson of perseverance of “Demon Slayer.” 

“Promises” is a dreamy acoustic song that addresses our inherent individualness versus our need for companionship.  The ‘promise’ being that we hope we will find another half to our being, but realizing that we are inherently alone: “It’s a solitary sadness / a bittersweet refrain.”. “Decay” reflects back to good times and worries that those may not be felt again.  Meanwhile, the fantasy of “Willow” is a warm embrace of the power of love and how its highs can make us so desperate to make the feeling last forever, and then the defiant “My Way” finds power, freedom, and solace in ending a relationship and moving forward on one’s own.

The closing two songs “Turned to Stone” and “Empty Spaces” both rival the emotional high marks mentioned earlier.  I wrote about the Covid isolation infected “Turned to Stone” (one of 2025’s greatest songs!) last year and its well-worn deep sadness and loss still cuts deep, all while still charming with a sing along accessibility, and a hummable bass-line.  “Empty Spaces” is a closing mournful epic that is the sadness of the previously feared storm clouds and decay and sinks deep into mourning and loss, which are tangible and heavy.

I think the immaculate crystalline music and production on Demon Slayer boosts these songs and elevates them beyond mere dream pop or indie pop directly to greatness.  Yes, there’s a lot to like here while bopping around.  The melodies are indescribably fantastic, and yet they are grounded with drama and feeling.  This is not superfluous.  This is important.  The lesson I’ve learned from this collection of songs is that being vulnerable and open is a strength and though it may open one up to harsher lows, it can bring bigger highs, but it’s still good to take a break and take care.  That openness is perfectly reflected by Jossi's 4AD/Vaughan Oliver/Chris Biggs inspired cover art depicting a hairless cat evoking the nakedness of vulnerability.  It’s difficult to believe that these two have never actually met in person, because the music they create is so perfect.  Please do not miss this. 

(https://theblueherons1.bandcamp.com/album/demon-slayer)

The Blue Herons "Fight or Flight"

Willow

 

the blue herons

“Willow”

(Shelflife)

Andy Jossi is a master at creating musical drama.  His long slow-building dreamy epics from his work with the churchhill garden put him at the forefront of “shoegaze,” and more recently, his instrumentation for the blue herons with more concise pop structures we find him still creating intense swells of sound.  His guitars jangle and chime in a similar timeless fashion as 80s Church (“Almost with You”), but no one has done the explosive swells of noise in the way that he does - at least not since the massive spectacular crescendos that Kitchens of Distinction used to employ. 

With “Wllow,” the blue herons’ latest single, we find Jossi appropriately settling into a more wistful almost melancholy sound.  Gretchen DeVault’s pleasant voice floats in atop the chiming guitars and mid-range bass with words that describe a lovely dream world of connecting with another.  That charge of new romance where that high is all that matters and the rest of the world drifts away.  It’s a place that we all wish for yet seems impossible to maintain.  Perhaps that’s why the escapist lyrics (“Nobody can find us here/ We’re beyond the outer limits / Lost in vivid dreaming / And we’re gone”) feel melancholic to me.  As if there’s a longing sadness – a yearning for these feelings while trying to navigate an especially difficult time.

Whatever the case, when DeVault sings the chorus (“When you’re touching my hand / I lose all sense of space/  I’m in another world / Lost without a trace) I’m pretty sure that she is one of the best at phrasing any set of words into a compelling vocal melody.  I was a fan of both of these artist’s work before they began working together, but I never could have imagined that this work could be this consistently excellent!  This song puts me into another world where all good things exist, and to be honest, I want to be there right now in the most intense way.  The lyrics themselves may be the best descriptive of how this song can make you feel while listening (“I float outside of time / I’m in another world”).

The anticipation of the upcoming April 3^rd release of their new album Demon Slayer is immense.  Please consider pre-ordering the album as soon as possible.  It’s going to be worth it.  This kind of artistry and quality is rare.

(https://theblueherons1.bandcamp.com/album/demon-slayer)

the blue herons "willow"

Turned to Stone

The Blue Herons

“Turned to Stone”

(self-released)

Every so often songs come into our lives that stand out from the rest.  There are many reasons for this: like it has to withstand repeated listens and be catchy, and/or it has to speak to us as individuals in a way that begs for those repeated listens.  For me, right now, that song is “Turned to Stone” by the bi-continental duo The Blue Herons.  At 2024 years’ end, I sang their praises via a breakdown of their singles compilation Go On (see review here).  And here they are picking up with a recent single that is as good as they’ve ever done, which is an incredibly high bar.

Andy Jossi’s music never ceases to astound!  He is a master of layering immaculately performed instrumentation together both in dreamy, languid, and broad paint strokes, and effervescent detailed touches that nearly always climax in satisfying dramatic crescendos.  “Turned to Stone” is the latter here and it absolutely impeccably sets an emotional foundation for Gretchen DeVault’s yearning vocals.  They’ve both so captured such a tight bond in this song, it’s difficult to believe that this was put together remotely. 

On the surface this song can be taken quite literally.  A heavy hearted plea for the seasons to change and hoping for the darkness of winter to transition to the longer, warmer, and sunnier days of Spring and Summer.  Personally DeVault’s words have hit me hard.  I am currently in a period of an intense health struggle, where I’ve been taking a chemo drug to prevent tumor growth, and the side effects of that drug are preventing me from being able to live a purposeful and enjoyable existence.  The chorus goes:

“Long days are gone

From the horizon now

The winds grow so strong

They could blow it all away” 

First of all, when hearing this song, I dare you not to get this refrain stuck in your head in the best possible way.  DeVault’s voice soars and arrests hearts with her brilliant performance.  For me, these words present the dilemma I’ve been wrestling with.  The long days could be gone if I give them up in order to feel stronger, while those strong winds could blow away the three years of hard work I’ve put in on the drug, which has indeed stopped the rampant tumor growth that was occurring in my head.  This song has helped me address this quandary and face the hard reality of my situation.  Wow!  I get chills every time I hear it, which is as often as possible!

On a macro scale, I also feel like this song is a perfect distillation of our times now in a post-Covid (or post-fll in the blank here) world.  We are all a few years out of the intense lockdown, but I’m not sure that many of us have really recovered.  It seems like there are many scars left that have not yet healed, even if unacknowledged or recognized.  Perhaps I’m paranoid, but it feels like there’s a lot more mistrust in our society that is not only between individuals and institutions (government, corporations, media, etc.), and more troubling between us as individuals (neighbors, friends, family).  These are things that have always existed, yet it seems now like they are conflicts that our unplanned isolation has driven an insurmountable wedge into our lives.  Our “heavy hearts have turned to stone.”  I believe that this song is a plea as well as a wish or an instruction for us to get over all of this shit and let optimism and cooperation back into our lives.

If only this song could be heard by a lot more people. However one interprets it for themselves, it is an incredible four-plus minute song worth more than notice and acclaim.  This is a truly affecting piece of art that I feel privileged to listen to.  I hope to see you all waiting “for the sun to rise again.”

(https://theblueherons1.bandcamp.com/track/turned-to-stone)

 

 

the blue herons "turned to stone"

 

 

This Wreckage Top 10 Most Listened to Releases

Unlike those words that I have heard from so many people over the years: "they don't make music like they used to," I find the opposite is true.  Yes, technically music making has evolved over the years.  Increased access to equipment, recording, and ways to find an audience has changed drastically.  The spirit hasn't though.  There is incredible music being made all around us all of the time.  More than ever.  It's difficult to keep up!  My problem as an older person who has yet to fully adjust to the idea that music doesn't have to be physically possessed is that I get overwhelmed.  I am fully aware that I have missed a lot of great music this year, because I get overwhelmed by it.  There's too much!  I do not make enough time available to hear more music.  I cannot afford it.  I can't keep up!  These selections are ten of many releases I enjoyed this year.  I share them only hoping to present my thoughts in a vague way to show appreciation to these great artists and inspire an individual to look into these artists further.  There's always been good music and likely always will be.  Happy New Year!!

Write ups can be accessed via the band/album names below

 1.

The Cure Songs of a Lost World

2.

Attic Ocean Retriever

3.

Torrey Torrey

4.

Humdrum Every Heaven

5.

The Blue Herons Go On

6.

Agent blå Stab!

7.

SPECTRES Presence

8.

The Black Watch the morning papers have given us the vapours

9. 

Mammoth Penguins Here

10.

J. Robbins Basilisk

 

Go On

 

The Blue Herons

Go On

(Subjangle)

This is the debut album from The Blue Herons, but it doesn’t seem like it.  The songs on Go On have all appeared as digital singles over the past few years.  The project originally started out as a vehicle for master instrumentalist, Andy Jossi, to showcase his love of jangle guitar pop.  Jossi originally started recording and releasing instrumental songs before reaching out to various vocalists to help him “complete” them.  I put “complete” in quotes, because Jossi’s wonderfully detailed music is incredibly dramatic and absolutely great without the addition of vocals.  During that weird year of 2020, The Blue Herons released the single “In the Skies,” with Gretchen DeVault seamlessly adding lyrics and vocals.  If you’ve bothered to read these silly music missives I occasionally write, you may recognize DeVault’s name. These two have teamed up for ten more fantastic singles since.  I became a supporter of Gretchen’s music going back to when I first heard the 2004 song “I Wanna Know” by her band The Icicles – an incredibly refreshing pop song that evokes the fun teenage love songs by 60s girl groups.  Subsequently, DeVault has explored different sounds through other outlets such as the melancholic dream pop of Voluptuous Panic, and the pristine indie pop of The Francine Odysseys, as well as adding her fantastic vocals to the fun Hero No Hero project before settling in as a full-time collaborator with Andy Jossi and The Blue Herons.

In this new era of digital singles and artist’s having more direct contact with their followers, first albums like this are likely to become the norm.  In the past, a ‘best of’ or singles collection might come out after an artist has reached a certain level of tenure and/or popularity, but this debut album is already a singles collection and it plays like one.  Every single song is incredibly addictive and beg for excited repeated listens.  Jossi’s other fairly well known project, The Churchhill Garden, with Whimsical vocalist Krissy Vanderwoude, finds him creating incredible extended dreamy vistas that build and build in intensity and volume like the Kitchens of Distinction used to do with regularity.  The Blue Herons, on the other hand, have a more straight forward sound that, while still dreamy, has more in common with the more upbeat songs by the 80s line up of The Church with the added strength of Gretchen’s spectacular vocal melodies.

I want to highlight particular songs, but it’s difficult because all of these songs have been favorites as they’ve been released over the past four years.  I think “Talking to Ghosts,” however, is the cream of an especially bountiful crop.  Jossi channels a Johnny Marr-esque arrangement and the dynamic orchestral chorus is absolutely stunning, as are DeVault’s vocals.  Of course, there is also the more driving and urgent “Autumn Leaves,” whose life affirming chorus is downright invigorating and motivational.  Surprisingly, The Blue Herons took on a cover of Joy Division’s all-timer “Disorder.”  At a glance, this might seem an odd choice, or a mismatch, but I can assure you, as a massive Joy Division fan, I find this to be the best cover I’ve heard.  Gone are the harsh shards of sounds atop the dark echoing rumbles of the original, but added is a different kind of urgency and warmth.  The approach is different, yet the end result is similar in that as a listener you’ve been taken on an epic adventure.  Plus I absolutely love the buzzing close and wish that it didn’t fade out.

Though most of these songs were released as singles prior to the album, there is added value in checking this out, because here the songs have been worked on – enhanced, plus there is a great alternate version of the yearning “Echoes in the Dust.”  If you have not checked The Blue Herons out previously, this is not only the perfect place to start, I would say it’s mandatory.

(https://theblueherons1.bandcamp.com/album/go-on)

the blue herons "talking to ghosts"