Just after the start of this century/millennium, acts like Interpol and Editors revived the driving, dark New Wave sound of the eighties. There were also artists such as Wolf Parade who dipped more into the post-punk artistry of that era. New York’s Big Bliss nicely marry the two on full-length At Middle Distance.
The pressure of acts from Joy Division on forward is present throughout At Middle Distance, particularly at the start in “Constants”, “Fortune”, and “Surface”. Indeed, while it works well, one can almost feel there is too much of a good thing, which is why it is well balanced later on with pieces such as the more wistful “High Ideal” and proceeding closer “RTK”. There is even brightness on songs like “sun coming up” “Answer”, and more general activity in “Conscious Being”.
Singer/guitarist Tim Race’s voice manages to bring to mind both the baritone of Interpol’s Paul Banks and the warble in Wolf Parade’s Spencer Krug, and there are definitely times when listening to At Middle Distance puts other artists’ songs in one’s head. Yet Big Bliss don’t feel like a retread, but another strong step onward.
