[Repost from The Pop Blog; by Rome Rodriguez, August 5, 2025]
The open road hums through every groove of Somewhere Out There, the luminous new album from Wilmington-based sonic architect Blase, set for release on October 24, 2025 via Fort Lowell Records. Born from windshield meditations and desert sky revelations during a transformative American odyssey, these eleven tracks crystallize into what might be the Chicago transplant’s most fully realized work yet – a 12-inch vinyl daydream that bridges jangly indie pop, hazy synth explorations, and the wistful ache of alt-rock. Those who’ve followed Blase’s evolution from Chicago drum circles to solo auteur will recognize his signature alchemy of textured nostalgia and forward-thinking arrangements, now expanded to widescreen proportions with production that alternately shimmers like heat waves on pavement and crashes like Pacific breakers.
From the sun-bleached optimism of lead single “Middle of Nowhere” (recorded after a Joshua Tree epiphany) to the twilight intimacy of “Under the Same Stars”, the album maps emotional terrain as diverse as the landscapes that inspired it. There’s a particular magic in how “Finding Myself in You” refracts Mac DeMarco’s slacker romanticism through Tame Impala’s psychedelic lens, while “Dirt Into Gold” channels The Flaming Lips’ resilient whimsy into an anthem for personal reinvention. Side B’s “Where Only We Know” and “Reflecting Time” showcase Blase’s gift for transforming existential wandering into radiant pop – the musical equivalent of watching a thunderstorm roll across the Great Plains from the safety of a roadside diner.
Critics are already hailing the project as “dream pop with a sunny disposition” (AnalogueTrash) and “a sparkly track with somehow both a retro, yet modern sound” (Mix It All Up). The vinyl release (available for pre-order now) promises to be a tactile companion to these highway hymns, with artwork that mirrors the album’s balance between vastness and intimacy. Fans of Beach Fossils’ coastal melancholy or Men I Trust’s slinky grooves will find kindred spirits here, though Blase carves his own path through familiar influences – these aren’t just songs about movement, but artifacts of motion itself, recorded in motel rooms and mixed with road dust still clinging to the tapes.
Mark your calendars for the October 24 record release party at Wilmington’s Satellite Bar & Lounge, where Blase will translate these widescreen compositions to the stage. In the meantime, let the already-released singles serve as postcards from the journey: “Middle of Nowhere” (out March 21), “Under the Same Stars” (May 29), “Finding Myself in You” (August 1), and “Dirt Into Gold” (September 19) collectively trace an arc from departure to homecoming. What makes Somewhere Out There extraordinary isn’t just its evocative blend of analog warmth and digital clarity, but how it transforms solitary miles into shared experience – proof that the best road trips always lead back to human connection.
Somewhere Out There tracklist:
Side A: Middle of Nowhere / Finding Myself in You / Under the Same Stars / Directions / Dirt into Gold
Side B: My Mind Set on You / Where Only We Know / No Other Place / Only With You / Don’t Want This to End / Reflecting Time
Pre-order the vinyl now and prepare to soundtrack your own wanderings when the full album arrives this autumn – because as Blase proves, sometimes you need to cross a continent to discover what was inside you all along.
