Phoot by Shervin lainez
Charly Bliss
There’s no discussion of Charly Bliss’ music that doesn’t ultimately come back around to how fun it is. The Brooklyn-based band’s aesthetic is steeped in ‘90s power-pop hooks that could have very well been borrowed from the Clueless soundtrack. They’ve covered Len’s 1999 pop hit “Steal My Sunshine” and played a Halloween set as Josie and the Pussycats. And the many music videos released from their debut album Guppy feature the band doing everything from camping to forming a crime-fighting super team.
Yet, early on in the band’s career, they had trouble capturing that giddy, infectious spirit on a studio recording. In fact, the band recorded an entirely different version of their debut album before they realized something important was missing: fun.
“I think our biggest ‘aha!’ moment was when we tried to record Guppy the first time and realized we had to scrap it,” says singer/guitarist Eva Hendricks. “It was almost easier to figure out what was wrong than what was right. When we heard the first version, we realized it was missing all of the fun and poppiness, and that’s such a huge part of what we do. So that was helpful, but we had to get it wrong first.”
Whatever process of trial and error Charly Bliss had to go through, they inevitably arrived at an irresistibly catchy pop sound on the second version of Guppy. Released via Barsuk Records in spring of 2017, Guppy features 10 tracks of alternative rock and power pop that nods to the likes of Weezer and Sugar, a sound they’ve dubbed “bubblegrunge.” Hendricks, guitarist Spencer Fox, bassist Kevin Copeland and drummer Sam Hendricks (Eva’s brother) don’t shy away from big melodies and radio-friendly hooks—or, at the very least, college radio friendly.
All but one of the tracks on Guppy top out at a little over three minutes apiece, and prominently feature big, fuzzy guitar riffs and mellifluous vocal harmonies. Sometimes there’s a touch of synth, and on songs like “Westermarck,” guitar solos that mimic the vocal melody. Pop is at the core of what Charly Bliss does, and when they’re attempting to write the catchiest song, it even contributes to competition among band members.
“My group of friends in high school was only interested in super poppy pop music. So if we were driving around and I was listening to something that was ambient and weird, they’d be like ‘this is so boring, put on something fun!’” Hendricks says. “We’re always trying to out-write ourselves. And something about super-hooky melodies is the best arena for that. ‘Can I write a catchier song than that?’ I love hooks all the way.”
On a lyrical level, Charly Bliss’ music is rife with wordplay and playful exaggerations. At the heart of most of their songs are anecdotes about ex-boyfriends or people’s outside perceptions, but they’re often handled in a tongue-in-cheek manner. On “Glitter,” Hendricks performs an autopsy on a breakup with someone too similar to herself, singing, “I’ll have my cake and eat it too/ I wish I could be good to you/ Am I the best? Or just the first person to say yes?” Meanwhile, “Julia” details an experience in which Hendricks became jealous of a boyfriend’s ex. She even takes that jealousy to an absurd degree in “DQ,” showing cruel envy toward someone’s pet.
Not everything that shows up on the lyric sheet of Guppy is literally true, though Hendricks says that they all reflect her own experiences in some way. And in turn, they gave her the opportunity to cathartically poke fun at her own foibles.
“Some of the things on ‘DQ’ are crazy sounding—even if they’re not things that literally happened—that song is about how I need constant attention in a relationship, so I’m kind of making fun of that side of myself that I’m ashamed of,” she says. “Songwriting is therapeutic and that’s why it’s the best. I’m not sure if I could make fun of myself for certain things that I’m embarrassed by in conversation with people, or if people call me out for things it can be really hurtful. But I find it really fun to make fun of myself in songs.
“I love the feeling of listening to something and being like ‘I know that feeling but I couldn’t have put it into words in that way’,” she adds. “I love that feeling. It’s important for me to at least write everything as true as possible.”
Charly Bliss plays Jan. 23 at Observatory North Park
Though Charly Bliss had to do something wrong before figuring out what kind of band they ultimately were, their debut album is a well-defined set of songs from a band that sounds confident with who they are. And, yes, it’s an absolute blast—a record that was made to provoke group sing-alongs. In fact, that was not-so-secretly Eva Hendricks’ wish for the album all along.
“I always think about the feeling I get when I’m in my car and I’m listening to a record I love and can scream along, whether it’s because of overwhelming joy or I need to cry,” she says. “I just love the idea of our record being that for somebody.”