Blue Doll - ‘Fellow EP’
Massachusetts-based indie-pop duo Blue Doll have just released Fellow EP, a collection of music that endeavours to touch you deeply in the soul and is full of excellent vocal ambiance.
A call to leave something that was once so beautiful but is now so spent can be heard in the opening song, "Fellow." The vocals are flawless and the track builds up beautifully. This is something that Blue Doll have nailed consistently in this EP’s production:
The production of "None The Wiser" is extremely stunning. It has an ‘80s feel to it, without being corny or formulaic. Additionally, on "Back Then," there is a stronger 1980s vibe, mostly because of the drums chosen. The song, though, doesn’t seem old… but something new and it is propelled by a powerful vocal chorus that is both lovely and easy to get lost in:
“Til Death” has a later Fleetwood Mac feel to it and I could imagine this being a song on Tango In The Night. “Satuit” is another wonderful number. Up until the main portions start, the heavily reverbed guitars give this a background ambient feel. The song's inventive key shifts and backing vocal arrangements demonstrate a really strong understanding of pop music. “I’m Small” closes out this gem of an EP. The song starts with a really cool organ part which evolves into a song which I find reminiscent of The Beach Boys album Smiley Smile.
These six songs draw on a variety of influences; the lyrics are contemplative and the music is at times ambient and at other times cheerful. This is definitely worth a listen.