Mickey Blurr - DIONYSUS, PART I

I’m all about music that is rich with intellectual wit and emotional honesty; the latter is the pretty much only thing I want from a record anymore. But so too do I enjoy an album that gets me moving, whose catchy rhythms and contagious melodies are the only focus, an invitation to just let it all go for a few moments on the dancefloor.

These two types of music might seem wholly antithetical to each other. I certainly used to think so. But Mickey Blurr’s debut EP DIONYSUS, PART I soaks pop-driven bangers in wit and intellect, making for a remarkably addictive listening experience.

DIONYSUS feels almost anachronistic in its composition: the bright guitars, upbeat drums and layered vocals feel so reminiscent of 80’s post-punk, as if Joe Strummer rose up to front the Smiths. Yet there is nothing old or derivative about Mickey Blurr’s music—the dynamic compositions and rapid-fire lyrics carry the ethos of our modern maddened age. Mickey mixes in explosive instrumental moments such as the driving post-chorus riff in “Edward in Oz” or the funk-laden bassline leading the opening track, the band buoying the energy to ecstatic heights that keep the head banging and the hips moving.

DIONYSUS, PART I is definitely a danceable record, but the lyrics examine this party atmosphere under a more critical light. The chorus to “SATYR DAY IV: the boys” overflows with imagery of excess: “Drink up / Pop some, get it, don’t regret it,” yet the verses pull the party down to dismal scenes of sitting alone and one-sided conversations. “BADSTAR” opens into a warzone full of violence and fear, yet by the second verse, the speaker is focused on finding “another drink or two to dull away the pain;” and by the end, neither the suffering and the coping mechanisms bring any real emotion: “I wanna feel anything.” DIONYSUS, PART I cultivates the hedonistic atmosphere of its namesake, refracting wanton writing through the lens of 21st century nihilism, reaching for any feeling but always returning empty.

DIONYSUS, PART I is the soundtrack to an evening out, the drum beats scoring drunken dancefloors and sultry one-night stands. The songs are intricate, impassioned, and above all infectious—I cannot impart to you the amount of times “PANIC” and “BADSTAR” have been stuck in my head since I first heard them. Mickey Blurr combines keen lyrics and musical flair to create an atmosphere that is simultaneously debauched and introspective. And if PART I is a dancefloor panic attack, I can’t wait to see what mania the next record will contain.

My Top Track: “PANIC”

You can find more from Mickey Blurr, including upcoming shows and news, on Facebook. Then head over to Bandcamp to download a copy of DIONYSUS, PART I, or stream it directly on Spotify.