24. Single Review of Growing Me by The Blimp
Originally published August 05th, 2024
The Blimp are a rock band from Sweden. They are Danyal Taylan, Peter Anderhagen, Jim Andersson, Jens Bjerelius, Christer Christensson, Frans Oddner. Their sound is primarily alternative to progressive, with a subtle hint of 90’s grunge.
Sidebar: most readers will heard of the very popular 90’s band, Live. They were huge in the 90’s. They made mainstream status with their popular hit album Throwing Copper, played Woodstock '94, headlined world tours, had #1 billboard chart topping records, and were about as successful as a band could hope to be. Then something terrible happened: their groove turned into a rut. They failed to produce anything significant in the 21st century, writing songs that were derivative from past hits, trying to capitalize on successes they had before when they were inspired. But the emotion had left and they had lost their voice. There have been ongoing legal battles between the original 4 members, they’ve broken up, got back together, fired members, etc. Their story became a very tragic one.
Except for one fleeting moment of hope.
In 2009, the original lineup broke up, and went on to do side projects. Then, in 2014, the guitar player, bass player, and drummer hired a new lead singer. His name was Chris Shinn. They put out one single album called”The Turn.” It was so good, Ed Kowyzcek came crawling back, somehow convinced them to reform, and he drove the band right back into the dirt and eventually fired everybody so he could continue on as Live, by himself.
The Turn was removed from every website. Unless the download was purchased. Thanks to YouTube, you can hear it still.
This is a long story to say that The Blimp remind me of this brief moment of hope that we fans had back in 2014.
The Blimp’s full sound, powerful vocal performance, fearlessness to perform unorthodox chord progressions, and overall performance make them a band not to miss. If you ever get a chance to see them perform live, I am sure it would be an incredible show. Check The Blimp out on their social media platforms.
About the Song
Growing Me is an alternative power ballad that has a run time of five minutes and fifteen seconds. It features lead and backing vocals, layered guitars, bass, and drums.
Instrumentally, we already spoke of the similarities of the 2014 Live lineup. They also have a very similar sound to Welch rock band, The Joy Formidable. Vocally, they have the beautiful tenor of Chris Shinn and Kevin Martin of Seattle-based rock band, Candlebox. The verse comes in with a very grunge-like guitar riff, the drums hang right in pocket, and the bass line is moving and fluid to the melody. The vocalist gives a commanding performance.
The verse leads to almost a witchy bridge, I love how it almost sounds dark and settling. It doesn’t get louder, it just sounds haunted.
The best part of the song is definitely the chorus because it is just that good. Vocally, the lead and backing vocals are so complimentary to one another. Instrumentally, the band gives an anthem-like resolution to the power chords played. It is attention-grabbing and beautiful. The guitars play off each other, moving tit for tat and the execution is expert.
Lyrics
The songwriter is very cerebral with their use of analagy. The song begins with the lines “I I spread your wings out here for a while. Gonna breastfeed your ambitions so breathe in and smile. So I noticed you here around before. Your ugly viscous fingers are scratched on my door”
Trying to unpack that verse, it starts out like the narrator is idolizing the subject but then it turns out the narrator recognizes that this idol is bad for them. Like maybe a drug addiction where the narrator knows they should stop but the addiction keeps beckoning them back.
The bridge supports this theory with lines like “come in come in come in” and “Have patience with me I’ll let you in for free”
The chorus talks about a possible recognition of succumbing to the dysfunctional desire “I lost my face again. In space again. I always wanted to believe.”
There are more lines to support this theory, and I could be way off, but that’s how it translates to me. It sounds like the narrator is battling a drug addiction. There’s even a mention of a “silver spoon” in the second verse that could be a double meaning.
I don’t want to spoil the fun by naming every line of the song. Really, I would love to hear other thoughts on these lyrics. Bottom line: you’ve written a fantastic song when it’s open to interpretation like this. The analogies are so broad and the paint you’ve chosen to illustrate with here is intense. Whether dark or light, the colors are intense..
Final Thoughts
This is a very strong song. It is organic, there isn’t much, if any digital assistance. The vocals are reliant on the singers talent, and the instruments sound like they were performed, not programmed. The production quality almost sounds analog even. But all of this is done so incredibly well. I think my delight in this song would also be my only criticism. It doesn’t sound like a song produced in 2024. It sounds like a song that could have been produced 20-30 years ago. That would have played on the radio 20-30 years ago.
I meant something similar happening to my father in my last review. However, I don’t see this as being the damming experience my father did. First, smaller gap. Second, music had become much more cyclical. And most importantly, there is always going to be a market for this caliber of creativity. I don’t think the Blimp should focus any effort on updating or rebranding their sound. Their music is impressive, their lyrics are intelligent, and they have proven to be very skilled musicians. Each are ingredients for a dish that will never lose its flavor.
You will definitely be glad you gave The Blimp and their new single, Growing Me, a chance.
Jeff gets it spot on here as usual. Haunting is a great word to use here. I like stuff that sounds like it was made 30 years ago. Let's all support these artists. Stream. Share. Engage. Thanks, Jeff, for all you do to introduce us to music we don't know!
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