Elegant LIGHT PINK for Her

Blue Smiley, an indie rock band from Philadelphia, was officially formed in 2013 in Brian Nowell and John Slavin's rodent-infested North Philadelphia apartment. With Nowell primarily composing from the hammock he used as a bed, the band created three short recordings within a year, featuring drummers Gracie Clements, Tim McMonigle, and Joe Veltri. Matt McGraw, drummer and childhood friend of Slavin's, later joined the group, helping to solidify a sound that would go on to define Philadelphia's indie rock scene of the 2010s.

Blue Smiley's first professionally recorded album was released in 2015, showcasing their dystopian noise-pop compositions with fuzzy effects and a focus on groove and precipitous tempo changes. Shortly after, Slavin relocated to Austin, Texas, while close friend and bassist Michael Corso joined Nowell for the next iteration of the band.

True to the Blue Smiley ethos, their next full-length album soon followed, featuring snappy, short songs that waste no time getting to the point. On this return, Nowell's hushed vocals settle deeper into the band's tapestry, like an iridescent thread that catches your eye at just the right moment.

During their last tour, the band introduced a handful of new songs, but never made it to the studio. Tragically, on October 8, 2017, while celebrating his upcoming 27th birthday with his parents, Nowell was found unresponsive in his room, a victim of fentanyl poisoning.

In spite of the band's premature ending, their legacy is now immortalized with a physical recording, featuring the following tracks:

1. demon
2. warn
3. control
4. flower
5. ghost
6. air
7. quiet
8. bad
9. hurt
10. rain

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