Man, She Punched Me Like A Dude

Cheerful mayhem balances precariously against angsty uncertainty in these tracks, which wobble and keen as much as they bang on forward. There’s a bit of Canadian self-effacement at work—“You are here as the first class entertainment/You are here because it's Drag-your-daughter-to-work Day” warbles Jeremy Gaudet—and existential angst tucked carefully into bopping celebration. Imagery veers into Fellini territory in that opening track, “When a horse falls into the swimming pool and they have to call a crane/Everyone in town comes to watch and they cheer when the horse is raised.” Blowin’ Up is friendly and engaging on the surface with deep pools of weirdness underneath, just how we like it. 

A sense of place defines these tunes, the two sides of the border that used to be more permeable before the tariffs and 51st state nonsense. “Hard Drive, Ontario” tracks the Canadian side, with its broken high school sports stars, its late night TV and betting parlays. “It’s hard to leave home with your heart on a hard drive,” is an evocative if somewhat impenetrable chorus (we know what it means, but what does it mean?) , amidst spiraling guitars and thrashing, kicking drums. “Pure Michigan” crosses the Ambassador Bridge for under-aged beers, driving through deep woods to dive bars, as the organ blares and the jangle cranks to rock intensity. 

It’s all smart and funny and totally enjoyable, and it goes by so fast, you wouldn’t necessarily recognize whatever flaws the music has. If it has any, that is. Blowin’ Up is pretty perfect for blowing out the car windows on a hot and aimless summer day.