Sonic Blume

Sonic Blume – Beach Karma

Asbury Park band Sonic Blume are teenagers making some of the best drone, shoegaze music that I have heard in a long time. Influences ranging from My Bloody Valentine to Beach House to The Cure have all meshed wonderfully on the band’s second EP Beach Karma to make a modern, fresh sounding dream pop album. Teenagers. - You Dont Know Jersey, LLC - Deanna Dilandro

Album Review

I've decided to do a few posts covering some of the stuff that I slept on in 2018. "Slept on" probably isn't accurate. From getting my head together after the end of 2017 to traveling to Japan with The RockNRoll Hi-Fives to being thrown for another loop at the end of 2018, I had a few distractions. One of my resolutions for 2019, though, is to throw myself wholeheartedly back into CoolDad Music; and that begins with getting back into the game of doing album reviews.

In July, Asbury Park-based four-piece Sonic Blume released their second EP, Beach Karma. Still in their teens, Andrew Phelan (bass), Danny Murray (drums), Matt Connery (synth / guitar / vocals), and Chase Landgrebe (guitar), make atmospheric, dreamy pop in the vein of bands like Real Estate, Beach Fossils, Wild Nothing, DIIV, and all of the bands those acts crib from like The Cure. Beach Karma consists of nine tracks, four of them short, ambient instrumentals titled "Door #1" through "Door #4." These pieces fall in between each of the other five tracks. They remind me a bit of the soundtracks that Tangerine Dream used to do for 80s films like Risky Business or Vision Quest.

"Shotgun" kicks things off with jangly guitars soaked in reverb. Lyrics like "I'm gonna close my eyes / Perfect place to hide" fit right in with the whole lazy, dreamy vibe. "Sunflower Bean" is more upbeat. The guitars chime, and here is where the influence of bands like The Cure or Cocteau Twins really shines through.

"Palms" is a standout and just got retroactively added to the "CoolDad's Favorite Songs of 2018" playlist. It combines the hum of 80s-inspired synths with the guitar jangle of early 2000s indie rock. The combination works almost to perfection. "All the Things You Say" does something similar while getting slightly more spacey. Closer "In the Sun," leans more heavily on synths than guitar and recalls the pristine synth pop of Phoenix, who I've been listening to obsessively lately.

Sonic Blume have their influences on clear display throughout Beach Karma. While they may not be breaking too much in the way of new ground, the songs have a sense of ease and familiarity that makes Beach Karma an addictive listen. Together with producer Erik Kase Romero, Sonic Blume have brought sounds from dream pop, post-punk, shoegaze, and indie rock together into a cohesive and pretty stunning whole. I look forward to watching these guys grow together, and I won't sleep on the next one. - Cool Dad Music - Jim

First off I want to say that had I heard Sonic Blume’s self-titled EP when it was released in November 2017 it really would have made my Favorites of 2017 if not my Top 10. This 5 track album is so damn good which almost pisses me off that this comes from a quarter of 17 year old Jersey kids. I’m going to quasi-quote Joe Mantegna here for a second to describe Sonic Blume.

Sonic Blume is better at this than I’ve ever been at anything in my life. They are better at this than you’ll ever be, at anything. They have a gift and when you acknowledge that, then maybe we will have something to talk about.

BOOM. Yes – they are that good. The fact that they formed two years ago, when they were 15, and then were able to produce such quality music in two years is completely mind boggling. They have influences that range from The Smiths to Joy Division, which you can hear in the music. The fact that any group is going to site Joy Division as an influence makes me smile, but the fact that Sonic Blume sounds so damn amazing just puts a smile on my face.

How would I describe them? It’s like George Harrison and Tame Impala took a time machine to 1988 where they had an album produced by Black Francis and Kim Deal. They are the cousins of Grouplove except less poppy and more KICKASS.


I’m not truly sure if I have a favorite on the EP though the first song Do Anything may be the one that draws me back to them over and over. Really reminds me of something that would have been playing in some kickass 80’s film. Honestly after my first listen through I listened to the EP about five more times. In a row. It truly should be the soundtrack to my life and it blows me away that these kids from Red Bank are so goddamn talented.

I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised when I read that they’ve played The Starland Ballroom, The Stone Pony, and other huge Jersey venues. Right now their claim to fame is opening for Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo’s band Work in Progress. Trust me Sonic Blume, in a few years Matarazzo will look back and say, “Man, I can’t believe a few years ago they opened for us!”

There’s a second Sonic Blume EP on the way but I’m in no rush to hear it. That’s because I’m so completely blown away but this EP that I have something to listen to over and over again no matter where I go. If you listen to Do Anything above and are as blown away as I am, run to iTunes or Spotify or YouTube or wherever you get your music. These guys are way too brilliant to pass up.

RATING: A

Find Sonic Blume at: https://www.sonicblume.com - 2 Guys 1 Review - Ryan McLelland

Sonic Blume is a four-piece, indie rock outfit based out of Monmouth County. Founded in 2015, their debut, self-titled EP was released November 4th, 2017. The EP was released on Moto Records, a record label based out of Asbury Park. While it has only been a few short months since their release, Sonic Blume already boasts thousands of plays on their Spotify and recently opened up for Work In Progress, Gaten Matarazzo from Stranger Things's band.

The group consists of Max Connery, Daniel Murray, Andrew Phelan and Chase Landgrebe, and their influences range from The Smiths to Mac Demarco. In a time where the dreamy sounds of the 80’s are becoming more and more popular, Sonic Blume fits right in. The group has a sound reminiscent of 80’s UK dream pop; think Slowdive and Cocteau Twins. While their sound has hints of nostalgia, the group maintains a mature, modern sound. While the guitar lines sound like something Johnny Marr would play, the vocals remind the listener of everyone’s favorite Canadian, Mac Demarco.

This brilliant blend of 80’s and modern music shines particularly well on their track “First Nite.” The song is upbeat yet dreamy, with most instruments on the track drenched in reverb (a sound I am particularly fond of). This track really allows Landgrebe to show off his tasteful, Marr-driven guitar work. “First Nite” is a perfect encapsulation of what so many loved about the early 80’s dream pop bands. I find it extremely impressive that this young group has such a handle on a particularly eclectic genre.

Clocking in around 22 minutes, this release is a time machine straight back to 1980’s UK. Sonic Blume manages to pull off a difficult sound without coming off cliche or pretentious. I am really looking forward to seeing this group grow. Listen to their great debut here. - Jersey Indie - Deaglan Howlett

There really are a ton of really exciting things happening in the New Jersey music scene. There are so many great bands and labels doing so many kick ass things, and now the scene has gotten even more crowded. MOTO Records has popped up in Asbury Park as part of the Artist Program of the Lakehouse Music Academy. But despite a roster of such young musicians, make no mistake that these kids are for real. Case in point, Sonic Blume, fresh off the release of their debut, self-titled EP.

Sonic Blume features a dream pop sound that keeps the listener suspended between dreams and nightmares. “Is It Getting Better” reverberates through the void in spaces of tonal dissonance as the question rings out, “is it getting better?” “Do Anything” has a more serene vibe and a dancier beat that beckons back to 80’s post punk, even though The Smiths probably came out 20 years before any of these dudes were even born. Music started before OK, Computer, kid.

The rise and fall of the mood conveyed through the songwriting is this EP’s greatest strength. The flowing trances and choruses like echo chambers always remain kinematic due to the varying of song structure and the variety of themes between tracks. While “First Night” is upbeat and bright and makes me want to break out my famous two-step, “Going Home” is a song that is only properly listened to face down in your bed with the covers pulled up over your head.

Sonic Blume’s talents has got them recognized and they will be playing at Starland Ballroom on February 3, opening up for Work in Progress, a project of Gaten Matarazzo, better known as Dustin from Stranger Things. The show is undoubtedly a big step for a promising young band with many more big shows ahead of them. So, get in ahead of the crowd and check out Sonic Blume’s debut EP and performance with Work in Progress so you can be the guy who liked them before it was cool. - NJ Racket

Here's a not-so-well-kept secret among us music nerds: there is no better time to listen to new music than the dead of winter aka right now! It's freezing outside, no one wants to do anything and you could simply spend a weekend catching up on all the bands you've been begged to hear to over the last year.

So, while the weather is still miserable, let's highlight the best few-dozen New Jersey bands lighting up the hottest scenes around the Garden State and beyond. These are the highest-flying local rock, pop, folk, punk and hip-hop acts you'll find in Asbury Park, New Brunswick, Jersey City or anywhere else all those killer tunes try to hide.

It's time to refresh your playlists, friends: these are the 31 New Jersey bands you need to hear in 2019.

Sonic Blume
Breezy Monmouth County indie-rock newcomers Sonic Blume burst onto the Jersey Shore scene in 2018, gigging a ton on the young four-piece's impressive debut LP, "Beach Karma." The band says it is taking the first few months of the new year off from gigging to finish writing and recording their third record (and finish high school). This one is once again being produced and engineered by Erik Kase Romero (Lorde, Front Bottoms, Gaslight Anthem) and will be released this summer.

Listen if you love: Real Estate, Deerhunter - NJ.com - Bobby Olivier - NJ Advance Media