Blueprint Tokyo – Mission Control (2024)
With over a decade of performing across the USA and the dream of being full-time musicians in their sight, multi-instrumentalists Andrew Hale and Kevin Dawson were close to the stereotypical ideal… and then life happened. Life often gets in the way with projects, be it happy or upsetting circumstances, and with Blueprint Tokyo it was Hale’s unfortunate health condition. Diagnosed with degenerative bone disease, Hale hung up his music and waded into life. Eventually, after learning to cope with the condition and all its financial implications, the US-based duo is back riding another wave of Blueprint Tokyo and, damn, we’re pleased about that.
Known for their infectious melodies and moving lyricism, Hale and Dawson follow their 2024 single ‘Only In America’ with ‘Mission Control’. Just as David Bowie’s Major Tom went off course and lost in space, Blueprint Tokyo is another song of tragic confusion just without heading off as a space oddity. Keeping our feet firmly planted on the ground, Blueprint Tokyo are the voice of a generation yearning for direction but finding themselves left to the wild.
The lyrics “We need hope” are but a hint of the vulnerability felt and heard in ‘Mission Control’; it is the execution that brings the painful truth home. Tossed into a sonic hurricane, the rich vocals ooze uncertainty, fragility, fear and disappointment. Then again, the full-bodied warmth from Hale and Dawson offers a warm, comforting hug of understanding, acceptance and reassurance that you are not alone in your despair.
The words are infectious and a perfect chant, however, this is not the only profound element. Combining crashing drums with a bold bass and powerful guitars, ‘Mission Control’ is a rush of indie-rock backed by some alternative rock undertones. The forcefulness of this sound highlights a demand for answers in the intense melodic symphony. Sincere, sentimental and introspective, ‘Mission Control’ is an intimate, anthemic declaration of confusion and desperation for Blueprint Tokyo’s Ground Control to pay attention to Major Tom.
Find out more about Blueprint Tokyo on their official website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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