EP Review: BLVDES - “Until We’re Dead”
by Jesse James Smith
Remember that band Settle Your Scores? Well let me introduce you to their vocalist’s solo project BLVDES. Did you miss that Easycore style they have? Well BLVDES’ new EP ‘Until We’re Dead’ is about to blow your mind. But it didn’t start that way. BLVDES’ early music was more what you would expect a singer's solo project to be. More ambient, more pop related, stuff that the main project would never put out, even though it was great. Since then, the musical direction of this project has shifted, incorporating full band music. Some heavy, some along the lines of pop punk! Which brings us here to the EP release, that feels like it was not only a heart hole filler for the fans, but for him as well.
Starting off with something you rarely see anymore, which is an intro track that is less than a minute long that is just an Easycore breakdown. Titling this track ‘Buildup’ was creative and self aware. That’s exactly what it did while preparing me for the next track ‘Breakdown’. The one-two punch combo was as if I was transported back to Warped Tour (The good one. Not the Festival) listening to guys with swoopy hair and cut off skinny jeans. Again with a self aware title, Breakdown has a Breakdown. This track gets a little heavier than I expected, Showing off his singing and screaming and having them both stand alone. A standout track to me that is a new release is their title track ‘Until We’re Dead’. This had a slightly different vibe than the rest. It was dialed back in tempo but had some complicated rhythms. The vocals also sounded more emotional and heartfelt in this track. It wasn’t typical easycore, yet it sounded like the track the band would have on the radio that was Easycore enough to rope new listeners in. Then as a send off, an acoustic track that leaves you with something sweet.
This felt good listening to it. It feels like the world is healing. There is a tiny wave of Easycore bands making a comeback and newer acts paving the new road in 2025. This EP stands right up there with each one of them. I can’t help but to think if this was supposed to be a SYS record, or atleast what he had envisioned it to be. Either way, this is exactly what the fans wanted to hear and is anything but a disappointment. I hope this gets the attention it deserves.