Details

In songwriting, inspiration can come from just about anywhere. People, places, and events are all too common examples. But for an artist like Meric Long, one half of famed Bay Area duo The Dodos, and in-house recording engineer for Tiny Telephone Studios (American Football, Moses Sumney) its sound, perhaps unsurprisingly, that serves as his most elusive and rewarding muse.

When Long first stepped out on his own in 2017, under the FAN moniker, it was the cyclical hum of a broken bathroom fan that sent him down an obsessive synth hole in an attempt to recreate its oscillating siren. As time has a way of repeating itself, his latest wave of inspiration came crashing in, sweetly and literally, from his young daughter's toy drum kit.

It all began when I tried to see if I could make her drum set sound cool, says Long. Once the drum set was micd up and dialed, Long began adding guitar and vocals without overthinking anything. The songs came together fast it really just felt like a call back to playing guitar in my bedroom as a kid and just having fun. The result is Kablooey Longs debut solo album to be released under his own name.

The albums title is fitting, given Longs desire to tap into an element of fun and spontaneity when it came to creating whatever felt right in the moment was explored and committed to record, whether it figuratively blew up in his face or not. The albums opening track, Split Decision, illustrates this feeling perfectly, providing the perfect backbone for the rambunctious and chaotic guitar work to follow.

That same intensity carries throughout the album, particularly on lead single, A Small Act of Defiance, which brims with nervous energy as Longs rallying call to stop and reset before its too late conveys nothing short of immediate urgency. The songs pummeling percussion and pulsating saxophones rock in syncopation, giving way to the sensation of barreling down an unforgivingly steep Bay Area street. Its Longs aim to awaken in time to pull the emergency break, singingWere on a fast track down to hell / Thinking its some heaven you built / Who will be resting on the spit / When its the celebrations end?

With the standout exception of vocal contributions from Spacemoths Maryam Qudus, and saxophonist Forrest Day, Kablooey is the sound of Long in a solitary quest of sound and inspiration playing every other instrument by himself, often tinkering deep into the night after finishing another artists session hours earlier. Kablooey is yet another meaningful snapshot into the mind of Meric Long, whose decades-spanning contributions to music have been a major influence to Californias indie rock scene. Now as an established engineer, the album is a compelling look into his remarkable abilities as both a songwriter and a creator.

Performed, Recorded and Mixed by Meric Long

Mastered by Sarah Register

Additional vocals on tracks 1,2,4,7,8 from Maryam Qudus

Saxophone on tracks 3 and 5 from Forrest Day

Cover art from Laa Argelles Folch, Two Ships (detail)

Layout and design by Ryan Miller