Timing the release of a record is a very important aspect of a rollout process oft goes overlooked. While Joyce Manor’s Cody was one of the best rock albums of 2016, had it been released in July instead of October, it like would have gotten a lot more time on my playlists. But maybe that’s just me. However, this is not the case for Charly Bliss, who will be releasing their debut LP Guppy in late April, as the clouds of winter part and spring begins to make way for summer. A little more than a month after the New York group released the epic video for “Percolator,” they have shared their debut album Guppy in its full form. Stream it in full courtesy of NPR.
It’s nothing short of an infectious collection of 10 pop-punk songs, anchored by frontwoman/guitarist Eva Grace Hendricks’ bubbly, but gripping vocals. Perhaps the highlight of the record comes with the second track “Westermarck,” which contains a chorus melody that sounds like a track that could have been lifted right from an early-2000’s teen movie as the protagonist hatches a plan to get back at their nemesis. Although this is likely not the imagery that Hendricks was going for with the track’s lyrical content, the mental image still remains pertinent.
Charly Bliss has existed for almost five years at this point, but Guppy is the first full-length effort from the four-piece, with their last release being 2014’s 3-track 7inch Soft Serve. Across Guppy, the group shows their mastery of the formula for a successful pop-punk track. The result is a perfect soundtrack to that first windows-down drive of the spring, and it’s set for release April 21st on Barsuk. Pre-order it here.
