SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BLURRED CITY LIGHTS – UNREST

BLURRED CITY LIGHTS
UNREST
ELAB RECORDS

Blurred City Lights is a shoegaze band based in Japan. Unrest is their fifth album, and their first since 2024’s Overload. They make music that is best described as a form of shoegaze but also incorporates industrial, doom, death rock, and ethereal wave. One can see that this album, Unrest, is not going to be a joy ride.

But that does not mean it is not an interesting album full of fascinating songs, sounds and music. “All The Hate,” for example, has a slow burn opening and then becomes a sonic explosion. It makes for interesting listening and does capture the attention of the listener. In fact, the same could be said for the entire album. From the opening track, “False Flags,” one knows that this band will have you in their grip and not let you go.

“Together Apart” is pure energy and anger, and full of grinding guitars. There is no reprieve during this song. “We Say No,” on the other hand starts with the gentle Rose Berlin providing other worldly vocals but then explodes into somewhat of a nightmare. And it makes for fascinating listening. The album comes to a close with the more gentle “Triple Tap,” an incredible instrumental that brings everything together. It is melodic and does show a different side to the band.

That is the thing about Unrest, while the style is there, there are numerous surprises to keep the listener guessing as to the next moment. The music is aggressive and does, at times, sound like a full attack on the senses. This is a compliment. They are not making noise for noise’s sake. This is an album about anxiety and trying to zig zag through life successfully. The music and the lyrics combine to convey a great many emotions and feelings. BCL is an interesting and talented band. Unrest is an album about discovery and revelations. It is an album with layers and treats.

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