Blue Blood's inspiration on This Is the Life is clear; the group is made up of members of MGMT, Dead Confederate and Gift Horse, and their airy brand of pop is an amalgamation of the eerie, psychedelic sounds these other projects are known for. This Is the Life features high-pitched vocals and dizzying instrumentals, resulting in a satisfying, pleasing-to-the-ears pop release.
"The Buyout" showcases the dissonant harmonies that Blue Blood tend to favour; the swirling, soaring vocals produce a psychedelic, catchy sound. The album's highlight is "We Could Never Be Friends," a gem of a track that features a driving, drum line-esque beat and spooky synth details, all surrounding the track's simple yet poetic lyrics: "We could never be friends / but would it kill to pretend?"
Elsewhere, the album tends to take a leisurely pace — a lazy guitar solo fades into lo-fi fuzz on "Money to Lose" — which can make the tracks feel stagnant and almost repetitive at times. But, overall, Blue Blood have created a solid work of pleasing, psychedelic pop with This Is the Life.
(This Is American Music)"The Buyout" showcases the dissonant harmonies that Blue Blood tend to favour; the swirling, soaring vocals produce a psychedelic, catchy sound. The album's highlight is "We Could Never Be Friends," a gem of a track that features a driving, drum line-esque beat and spooky synth details, all surrounding the track's simple yet poetic lyrics: "We could never be friends / but would it kill to pretend?"
Elsewhere, the album tends to take a leisurely pace — a lazy guitar solo fades into lo-fi fuzz on "Money to Lose" — which can make the tracks feel stagnant and almost repetitive at times. But, overall, Blue Blood have created a solid work of pleasing, psychedelic pop with This Is the Life.