Review: Trevor Blendour – “Falling in Love”

Self-released, 11 February 2022

Don’t let Trevor’s metal-like Flying-V fool you, this is pure pop rock and roll.

I’ve gotta believe that Iowan Trevor Blendour is a little over the Buddy Holly call-outs.  I’ve seen the comparisons made several times before…I’ve made it before.  But the music absolutely fits.  I jumped into the Blendourverse a couple years back (a little late to that party) and have become positively smitten.  I’ve since found myself furiously diving into Blendours releases and other Blendour bands (Surf Zombies) that date back years and tuning into live-from-his-bedroom concert performances on Facebook (where he played throwback originals, some new stuff, and lots of covers ranging from Ramones to Buddy Holly to Dion to Buck Owens).  And song after song landed with a spark.  The earliest stuff started out as incessantly catchy pop punk accented by power pop and doo-wop/50’s rock parts and it has evolved into 50’s pop rock and roll touched by slight pop punk and power pop highlights.  In every case though, I’ve found myself enamored with the classic, clever, and sophisticated songs.

Recently, when I saw an announcement that Blendour had a new album arriving shortly (under his moniker rather than the Blendours name), and that said album featured a bunch of my favorite songs from his live-streamed concerts, I found myself stupid giddy.  As anticipated, Falling in Love is now one of my favorite things.  Falling is maybe his most decidedly pop rock and roll turn yet, playing with relatively clean guitar tones and singing innocently sweet songs mostly about girls while backing vocals “ooh” and “ahh” all over the place.  The drums snap, shuffle, and pop, the bass lines are loaded with melody, and the songs end up pure catchy pop gold.

If you’ve made it this far, I think you’ve got a feel for the music and an understanding of my immense love for Falling.  So what are the must-check-outs that’ll pull anyone in?  I’d start with “Carly Please”.  The third song on the album and first single is maybe one of my favorite songs ever, no hyperbole.  I heard it in a live performance video for the first time about a year ago and have been waiting for it to get a proper release ever since, mostly impatiently.  “Carly Please” is a “win-back-a-girl” song that has gorgeous vocal melodies, great backing vocal harmonies, and an upbeat rumble and chug.  Guitar leads sneak in, tambourines get a moment or two, and when most of the music drops out, handclaps join in.  To me, it’s utter perfection.  “Falling in Love” is another incredible song.  This one opens with a lovely strum of the guitar before dropping a quick cascading melodic guitar lead and moving into the verse.  And if you’re not all-in yet, just let the chorus sink in.  The “falling in love” melody is a hummer that I’ve been singing in my head for days now.  Opener “Don’t Mean Maybe” has a fantastic guitar line and words like “I don’t wanna dance with you, Suzie Q” don’t shy away from the 50’s-inspired feel.  “Tough Guy” has a fantastic bridge-into-chorus section that hooks me and a verse melody that reminds of some early Beatles song.  There’s also a real Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons feel to the harmonies.  “Another Guy” has a fun-quick guitar hook and “Lost The Girl” comes as close to pop punk as the record gets, topping the upbeat music with some more of my favorite vocal melodies.  Elsewhere, “A Paradise” has an endearing bounce with a great walking bass line and another stellar vocal turn capped with a Buddy Holly-esque hiccup on the “a paradise” lines.  And “Win Back That Girl” is elegant 50’s high school slow dance music with its doo-wop-inspired backing vocals and the “why-I-I-I-I” lead vocal melody.  There’s so much good stuff here, I don’t have space to hit on all of it.  But that’s okay, anyone reading this can fill in the gaps.

The other day I was speaking with a friend who’d never heard Trevor Blendour or any of his affiliates.  Trying to keep things as clear and recognizable as possible, I simply said that you could take pretty much any song off this new record and slot it in alongside songs by Buddy Holly, Dion, and Ritchie Valens and fit right in.  That’s ridiculously high praise for me.  I can’t recommend Falling in Love enough.  Now stop reading this and check it out already.     

Favorite song: “Carly Please”

Favorite moment: this shifts moment-to-moment as I listen, but maybe the “falling in love” vocal melody or the “why-I-I-I-I” vocal on “Win Back That Girl”

Favorite whatever else: the vocal hiccup on the “a paradise” lines of “A Paradise” knock me out