Bland’s “Under Fire” approach to music will strike you as instantly refreshing, uniquely expressive and easily recognizable for its unusual approach to storytelling and building soundscapes. Bland is a talented instrumental dance and hip hop artist from Seattle.
Musically the track is great, it has this classic, hip hop vibe to it – cool but a bit dark on the outer edge. Bland, offers the perfect level of power and confidence to drive effectively and impressively in the flow. The accompanying soundscape adds to the experience in a similar way – it fits, it makes sense, it keeps you focused, and keeps your eyes and your mind on the subject and the ideas.
“Under Fire” is a powerfully immersive piece of music, sweeping the listener through this impressive wave of evolution and emotional progression. The song develops in a fitting manner, allowing each layer to pave its way to the next – rising higher and higher each time. This starts with a fairly familiar setup – well-crafted and superbly crisp, albeit with a bit of professional audio. The voice of the song and of course the protagonist of the story. Behind this, the details are excellent; Each takes his time to get into the experience. There’s more space than you might expect from an instrumental release, but this only allows you to fully appreciate the complexities and power of his presence.
When the beat hits, things take another turn for the unexpected. The fascinating thing about this, though, is that even though each change is almost impossible to predict – it makes perfect sense once it hits. The song has these different lows and lows, these shifting emotions from hope to uncertainty—from anticipation to climax—and each time, it’s easy to escape, both catchy and exhilarating.
The overall vibe is a pleasure to play for you. As the intensity increases, the soundscape – synths, keys, picked notes, this exciting fusion of the organic and electronic worlds – everything responds in a more fitting and naturally connected way. It looks smart, authentic, smart and beautiful to witness. Easily worth adding to long-term playlists and is definitely an artist to look out for.
