PIP BLOM

Reminds us of: The Velvet Underground, Parquet Courts, The Cure, New Order, The Sundays, Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians, Blur, Elastica

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What is it about Dutch musicians and the Velvet Underground? First Lewsberg release their debut album sounding almost identical to Lou Reed and co, and then just a couple of months later we have ‘Boat’, the debut album by Pip Blom which also takes on some of their trademark sound. Not that I’m complaining of course, in fact I absolutely love it.

Pip Blom do of course have their own sound, and what a wonderful sound it is. Pip herself was apparently inspired to learn guitar about six years ago, after her mother took her to see Parquet Courts. She released her first music in 2016, and then managed to persuade her brother and a couple of others to form a full band, and they’ve just released that debut album, and it’s great.

Boat opens with the super catchy Daddy Issues, one of the singles used to promote the album alongside the excellent and equally upbeat and catchy Ruby. Don't Make it Difficult continues the upbeat start to the album with the slightly more sedate Say it and Tired coming after. A bit of new order influence comes through on Bedhead and then were into the second side of the album which continues the high quality song writing on tracks like ‘Sorry’ and the album closer Aha.

This is proper C86 style jangly / classic indie music, and it’s not unsurprising to hear from listening to it that Pip’s father was in a post punk band, and by all accounts was friendly with John Peel at some stage. No doubt if JP (RIP) was still around now he would definitely be championing Pip Blom’ cause (probably on 6 music). Alongside the jangle there is Pip’s vocal, which sounds uncannily like Edie Brickell, very distinctive and entirely mellifluous.

Once you’ve been seduced by ‘Boat’ remember to check out the Paycheck EP from 2018 which is similarly excellent, and on a couple of the tracks has what for me is probably the only thing missing from the album, which is a little bit of feedback and fuzzy guitar.   

The band completed a UK tour in May, but return for another in October. If you want to read more about the band, click here for an interview in So Young Magazine and here for an interview in The Skinny.

As I write this, the sun is shining, it’s a lovely day and ‘Boat’ makes for a great soundtrack to it.