Browsing Tag

Denim Blue

Spotlight Feature: Denim Blue tore off the facade in his indie rock bedroom pop EP, Vacation Blues

Posted on 27 August 2022

In his new EP, Vacation Blues, the Norway-residing bedroom pop artist Denim Blue tore off the facade and abstracted any sense of pretence to deliver a 6-track release which encompasses the dissonance that the journey of loss and recovery imparts.

Inner turmoil is always a field of landmines, but never has it been filled with so many efficacious hooks. Vacation Blues stands as a testament to Denim Blue’s ability to capture the confusion within the human condition while sending you deep into a state of sonic beguile.

Track 1, Brand New, is undoubtedly the earworm of the EP. Unlike your average earworm, the melodic indie pop rock hit sticks to your synapses like superglue through the cohesion between the apathetically hooky vocals and the colourful melodies. Track 2, Tear Me Down, heightens the emotion by stripping back the production to an art pop serenade of lost love.

Track 3, Field of Dreams, shares sonic textures with shoegaze while Denim Blue runs with his signature rough, raw and relatable vocal timbre before Down completely shifts the synthetics of the EP into a hazy synth-pop lament. Decidedly one of the sweet spots on the EP, Waste My Time exhibits the best of Denim Blue’s lyrical gravitas before the concluding single, Bloom, blossoms under warm saturated delay.

Putting context and intensifying the listening experience, this is what Denim Blue had to say on Vacation Blues:

“Vacation Blues is a short but open story. There are a few ways to interpret it as it grows darker with different stages of losing hope, love, will and identity. At the end of the EP, there is a realisation, but it is a cyclical story; the first and last tracks have the same vocal hook with different meanings.

It is about struggling to move on, whether from heartbreak, addiction, mental health, or any other personal matter; it is up to you to decide, as the listener. I wanted it to feel familiar, almost like the inner voice that tries to speak up.”

Stream Vacation Blues on Spotify & SoundCloud.

To stay up to date with new releases, follow Denim Blue on Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Denim Blue ventures into the unknown with his optimistic indie-pop lament, Brand New

Posted on 13 August 2022

Norway-hailing singer-songwriter Denim Blue mastered every genre he poured into his latest single, Brand New. His ability to pull you into the dissonance of heartbreak and make it a pleasurable trip is something no one will be quick to forget.

While the guitars exude the angular mesmerism of Interpol’s earlier work, the hooky melodies veer into a poppier territory, and vocally, the genre-fluid visionary transcends archetypes and tropes to deliver pure vulnerable expression. It gives you all the intimacy of bedroom pop, and none of the lo-fi muddiness that has become synonymous with it.

For anyone that resents the plastic feel-good summer tracks released by artists desperate for a brag-worthy chart position, Brand New has all the makings of a realism-soaked playlist staple. The juxtaposition between optimism and soul-tearing sadness is undoubtedly one of the sweetest things I’ve heard this year. That is until the release of his EP, Vacation Blues, on August 26th.

In his own words, here is what Denim Blue said about his release

“Brand New is a bittersweet song; happy and pleasant, yet sad and reminiscent of the past. I wanted it to be perplexing; like the emotions that come to fruition when reminded of the past. I created a soundscape of summer, bright and melodic, with a sadder yet playful undertone in the lyrics, which are about struggling to let go – even if it is for the better. I recorded it about two years ago and kept returning to it with a good feeling. I hope others will get a good feeling from it too.”

Brand New is now available to stream on Spotify.

Connect with Denim Blue on Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

By Myself: Norwegian rapper Denim Blue wonders what happened to those rules on ‘Rodeo’

Posted on 14 September 2021

Inspired by Prince, Ice Cube, Kanye West and The Weeknd, Denim Blue lets the music speak for itself on his brand new single all about seeing something so bright stop shining rather quickly on ‘Rodeo‘.

Jens Bjarne aka Denim Blue, is an indie rapper, weeds explorer and singer-songwriter who is based in beautiful Norway.

”I love mixing genres and I’ll never stop trying to show my art in creative ways.” ~ Denim Blue

This is the story about being with someone who you care about so much, who you saw with a halo on their head that has now been so tarnished. Your ex lover fell nose-first into the treacherous trenches of temptation and you won’t stand for it, as you wish that they could go back to who they were before the once-beautiful spark fizzled out.

”I’ve been writing songs my entire life, rapping for most of my life, and singing in the last 5 years or so, but I didn’t start recording until 3 years ago.” ~ Denim Blue

Sung with a terrific vocal ability, honest lyrics and with a dazzling beat which has your imagination swirling so quickly – this is a real gem of an underground track from this youthful artist with morals – who refused to walk in the line that so many fall over just to get inside.

‘Rodeo‘ from the Norway-based indie hip-hop artist and songwriter Denim Blue, is a reminisce-filled track all about wondering what happened to that person you looked up to. They were a Queen in your eyes but that shimmering star has faded darkly into the night, as you now feel like you are much better alone.

An old school lover mentality is so hard to keep these days, but this is something that morally you can’t change in the fiber of your fabric.

Hear this new single on Spotify and see more via his fresh IG music page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen