Blush

I hope everyone listens to Blush. A beauty of a record. If you’re need of convincing (or just don’t want to listen alone), turning the tables made an excellent video reviewing the record where they break down the layers to this masterpiece - spoiler alert, there are a lot. I’m usually one to stream music without context or understanding who did what, etc. But when it comes to Kevin Abstract, its differerent. Abstract acts like a conductor. He has a God-given talent for getting together talent and orchestrating it into something more than coherent (to say nothing of his own musical talent, of course).

Blush is fascinating in the way it cultivates a dreamy, dynamic sonic space while juggling over 10 artists and countless instrumental elements. From the etheral sound of Yoko Ono to the high energy of NOLA to the aching honesty of Post Break Up Beauty, jumping from choirs to raps to ballads, Abstract somehow still creates a flow of sound that makes it hard to tell each song apart. He experiments with deconstructed sounds and moving away from a one-dimensional consistent melodies in his songs, yet never loses the rythym. In other words, the songs feel experimental yet full and finished.

Blush is simultaneously soothing and entertaining to listen to. My first listen was on a hammock in the sun in Budapest in late June. I just admit I drifted off into sleep towards the end while listening to the album - but not for lack of interest. Rather, it was such a blissful sonic experience it literally felt like levitating. Abstract, and his magical toolbox of sounds and students, tap into emotions I didn’t even aware I was capable of feeling. Blush is an experience, and I recommend it to anyone.