Taken from the debut eponymous LP which hit the airwaves on September 11, the seminal single, Dirty Blue, is an undeniable attestation to how the Portland powerhouse Unreal isn’t just here to play, they’re here to rip the monotony from the contemporary music scene with their razor-sharp hooks and convention-defying sonic signature.
Pairing 80s synth lines with angular indie jangle pop guitar lines and the caustic timbre of emo-adjacent vox, Unreal lived up to their moniker with their potent, alchemic cocktail that few other artists would think to pour, let alone pull it off in such an anthemically infectious way.
Imagine a synthesis of the riled angst of Taking Back Sunday, the glittery synths of a-ha, and the guitar licks of the Replacements and you’ll get an idea of the sheer innovation that courses through Dirty Blue which transcends the usual try-hard aesthetics of genre-fusion; every element serves to add more depth to the high-octane currents of emotion that courses throughout the earworm.
Stream the debut LP from Unreal on Spotify.
Review by Amelia Vanderga