BLISSARD

Blissard marks a move towards more mainstream indie material (whatever mainstream indie means). Half of the songs are very upbeat, happy almost, almost like the poppy side of The Cure in a crunchy mood. The other half veer towards more experimental post-rock, but not as far-reaching as the previous album.

The change of approach doesn't charm me much but I believe it was an important experience for the band, one that sharpened their songwriting and arrangement skills, which came in handy on their upcoming albums. There are still lots of influences from Sonic Youth that give the album a wild flair at times, but generally this is too 13-a-dozen indie for me. As standout tracks I would list Sinful, Wind-Borne, True Middle, STG and Moonmower, most of which showing a post-rock flair as well.

Blissard is an album that marks a step in the development of the band but it's no match for the 4 albums around it. Not bad for fans but not a recommended album to start exploring Motorpsycho. 2.5 stars.