Album Review: Decent Criminal – Bliss

Decent Criminal hail from northern California and there is an undeniably West Coast surfy vibe to this record in parts. That would be cool enough, to be the punk Beach Boys, but it’s not enough for this band. Bliss is a joyously and relentlessly idiosyncratic record that swoops and skips across a brilliantly vivid palette of musical colours. While ‘idiosyncratic’ can be a metaphor for ‘awkward’, this is not the case here. Bliss changes shape and colour as you listen to it: one minute it’s full-on, balls out, driving power pop (Creep and Fade), the next it’s anthemic rock (Bleached). There is sensitive if you want it (Alone – a gorgeously melodic and languid waltz, no less) or anthemic, lighters-aloft guitar rock (Drown), some full-on punk battering (Loner) and moments of almost acoustic mellowness (Sigh). Despite this musical eclecticism and diversity, there is a definite Decent Criminal sound that derives from excellent songcraft and the confidence to occasionally go off-road and dodge around the expected chord progressions without losing any grip on melody. Occasionally odd timing variations and changes in the dynamics mean that you should always be alert to the unexpected. Add to all of this a gorgeously lush, harmonic multi-vocal approach and you end up with a supremely infectious yet slightly unsettling album of first-class songs.

To try to distil a ‘for fans of …’ pointer would be futile. Maybe It’s A Shame About Ray-era Lemonheads meets Radiohead when they were tuneful with a big dash of surf pop and Weezer might provide some kind of idea about how this sounds. I don’t know – it’s pointless to categorise. This is an excellent recording: confidently individual and a real blast of fresh air. Every track is an absolute winner. Upbeat, catchy and sublime. For fans of … music. Get some. Bliss is released in the US on Wiretap and in the EU on Bearded Punk Records on June 21^st.

Decent Criminal can be found on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

Bliss can be pre-ordered in the US here and in the EU here