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Los Angeles’ Wyatt Blair can’t stop. A physical manifestation of inertia, Blair has been a musical object in motion since his father taught him to play the drums at 13 years old. In the years since, he’s spent his time playing in numerous bands, producing bands albums, releasing four self-produced solo albums, and founding the LA-based record label Lolipop Records, through which he helped break a new wave of young garage rockers out of their neighborhoods and into the world. His previous releases garnered praise from Pitchfork, The FADER, Spin, Uproxx & more, and led to support slots alongside acts like The Growlers, Broncho, Screaming Females, Peach Kelli Pop, Cosmonauts and more. Now, after a tumultuous year and relocating from Los Angeles to Flagstaff & back again, Blair is taking some time to help himself the only way he knows how: Channeling his struggles into massive arena rock/power-pop songs on his new EP For The First Time.
For The First Time, out December 6th via Lolipop Records, comes on the heels of last December’s Inspirational Strawberries, Blair’s second LP of 2018 that found him indulging his ’60s psych, ’80s pop, ’90s Brit-rock influences in equal measure to stunning effect. Recorded in his home studio in Flagstaff, Arizona, For The First Time was originally conceptualized as a full-length LP before Blair decided to cut it down, with the remaining four tracks stripping away the varnish that coated his 2018 releases in favor of raw, emotionally vulnerable power-pop. “I think maybe I was trying too hard in the studio on my last couple of albums to add more instruments on a track, or cut things up more,” he says. “With For The First Time, I just wanted to write some straight pop-rock tunes.”
Much of For The First Time deals with Blair’s struggles with mental health throughout his life, his recent experiences with medication, and how music helps him process his emotions. “Writing music is a compulsion for me — it’s my outlet,” says Blair. “Everyone has an outlet, some way of combating mental and physical conflict in their life. Music is my creative gym, honestly, it’s the way that I work through my neuroses. It’s a compulsion in the sense that, I need to do this for my health.” The most poignant example comes from the EP’s closing track, “Fear To Fight,” a strutting 80s-pop empowerment anthem that emphasizes the fear of taking the steps to improve mental health. “All these fears, the fear of opening up, fears of dying, fears of upsetting someone, fears of losing control, the fear of talking to a therapist or doctor about your issues… I’m just saying ‘fuck all that’, we’ve all got that fear built in to us, but we’ve just gotta keep fighting the fight of life in order to get somewhere at all.”
Elsewhere on the EP, Blair explores crises of identity and emotional vulnerability atop his specific style of deceptively upbeat guitar pop. On “Pop Your Heart Out,” Blair encouragingly sings of wearing your heart on your sleeve and being unafraid to be yourself. Meanwhile, on “(I’ll Keep) Searching For You” he grapples with his past and future, backed by layers of shimmering synthesizers, crunchy guitars, and a thumping rhythm section. “It’s about self-reflection, always trying to find who you really are,” he says. “I know I’ve been through some shit, I know depression & anxiety have affected me in lots of ways, but I’m still searching for myself after it’s all said and done, and part of that trust in yourself & the world around you is in the constant searching, and I won’t stop.”
Despite dedicating much of For The First Time to thematically heavy, emotionally vulnerable subject matter, Blair still makes room to cut loose and have fun with “Cherry Rose,” which he wrote as a challenge to himself to create a jingle for a fake lip balm company. The result is a perfectly sweet pop-rock earworm that drips with Blair’s sensuous, confident swagger.
Though arena rock’s heyday has passed, on For The First Time Blair manages to get to the heart of what made it popular in the first place. The theatrical confidence, hi-fidelity production, soaring guitar riffs, and passionate vocals are all there, but thematically updated for the current social climate. With his new EP, Blair utilizes the infectious energy of power-pop to process his struggles and show solidarity to others who may be feeling the same way. For The First Time holds its own as a throwback guitar-pop time machine, but it truly shines as a testament to music as therapy.
“Truly stellar.” – Pitchfork
“Ridiculously catchy…equal parts New Order, Bruce Springsteen, and Pat Benatar.” – The FADER
“Gratifyingly power-rocking.” – SPIN
“Catchy ’80s capitalist pop-rock.” – LA Weekly
“Like his garage rock contemporaries White Reaper, Blair mixes in elements of arena rock and glam rock to his sound, highlighted by the melodic guitar leads and blazing guitar solo. While entirely modern, it’s not hard to envision kids in the ’80s, wearing acid-washed jeans, pumping their fists along with the anthemic verses and chorus.” – mxdwn