Blackup – Club Dorothee CD (Rookie Records / Flight 13 Records)

Blackup is a Belgian post-punk rock band hailing from Gent. This interesting quartet performs since 2011 when their initial record Ease & Delight seen the light of the day. Later on, the group introduced more recordings in 2017, such as Clubbing Into Submission EP and a split release with Brat Farrar. After a couple of years of working and preparing their material, the band is more than ready for another full-length. Therefore, Blackup decided to publish another full-length album named Club Dorothee, with twelve remarkable compositions. However, this album introduces more than the simplistic post-punk musicianship that the vast majority of groups provided in the past.

Blackup bases sound upon the rich post-punk heritage, intervened with an old-school punk rock, and then fused by loads of noise rock aesthetics. These combinations resulted in a very compact material, which bursts with notable dominance of post-punk and classic punk rock sound but aesthetically leans towards noise rock from time to time. The group avoids some essentials of the post-punk scene, like dealing with loads of reverb, delay, or echo effects. They also avoid bleakness, darkness, and depressive thematics by introducing the profoundly dynamic performance, entirely characteristic of classic punk rock and mod music. It seems like these dynamics are serving as a transition to more noise rock and art-punk aesthetics, which are giving exceptionally fresh note to this material.

Still, Blackup avoids the chaotic side of noise rock and overly artsy punk rock maneuvers. Club Dorothee is a more straightforward punk amalgam consisted of engaging semi-distorted melodies, notable subtly distorted basslines, and energetic drumming performance. It’s surprising how all instruments are equally present in the mix, so all the pleasing notes will be detected by your listening apparatus. The vocals are levitating between shoutouts and more melodic chants, but both technics perfectly articulate with the rest of the band. Club Dorothee has some distinctive sort of energy, which bursts in all possible directions and leaves speechless all those who’re willing to explore this marvelous post-punk album with open minds and hearts.

Club Dorothee comes on a vinyl record, compact disc, but it is also available at all streaming services. Pick up your weapon of choice, lean in your comfortable chair, and grasp these ear-appealing melodies. Head over to Rookie Records or Flight 13 Records to preserve your copy of this gem.