Album Review: The Bluechips Let It All Flow With ‘What If It’s Over?’
There are certain bands that find a balance between sonic versatility and rhythmic tightness. They also to put a lot of instrumentation and arrangements into a three to four-minute song while harnessing a cohesive structure. It’s difficult to master, but once a band or a musician gets a handle on it, it can make their music stand out. The Bluechips from the lower end of New York’s Hudson Valley have this going on with their alt-rock sound incorporating subtle elements. Their third full-length What If It’s Over?, which came out on May 19, exemplifies everything I just mentioned and a whole lot more.
The cohesiveness that’s present within the album is a product of the band’s songwriting process with guitarist Paul Beladino, drummer Jake Albi and bassist Tom Davis each playing a part in it. This joint creativity is definitely one of the reasons why The Bluechips’ music has a certain malleability. These guys don’t put themselves into a box, they think outside of it with every note and lyric. This is evident within the tracks off of What If It’s Over? by each bringing a substantial uniqueness to the senses. They stray away from being bland and redundant, which is one of the risks being taken when an album features 18 songs.
