Blue Wilson is the solo recording project of LA’s Michael Stevenson, who is set to release a new EP, Younger, this autumn with our friends at Forged Artifacts. You might know Stevenson as part of fellow Forged Artifacts band Small Forward, whose album Affections came out in 2017, and the Blue Wilson sound could certainly be said to draw upon the sunny, psych-tinged rock of the band.
That said, Stevenson uses Blue Wilson to explore within this field, marking the project as a notable venture in its own right. The sound has something of a lo-fi sheen, though maintains the kind of tropical warmth that fosters such a relaxed vibe. As such, the tone is pitched somewhere between contented and nostalgic, sun-warmed and spacious, yet always casting its gaze backwards to a time now gone.
We’re pleased to be able to share the single ‘Golden Eyes’ to give you a taster of the album. Existing on the upbeat end of the record’s spectrum, the single opens with diligent drums and rhythm, before the entry of the vocals heralds an expansion of the song. The succinct rock decompresses in the middle section, falling into a gauzy dream pop, the drums kicking in every so often to pull things taut once more and power them forwards.
Younger will be released on the 2nd November via Forged Artifacts and you can pre-order it from Bandcamp.
Album Art by Karis Witke