Following “The Cringe” and “The Deli”, Cor de Lux return with Blind Smile, the third and final preview of Year of the Horse, their eagerly awaited debut for Ipecac Recordings. While “The Deli” saw the North Carolina quartet lean into a brighter, more melodic and slightly eccentric take on post-punk, Blind Smile brings them firmly back to the guitar-driven intensity of alt-rock and post-hardcore.
“My cousin is deaf and his true laugh that isn’t altered from what he thinks he should laugh like is one of the most joyous sounds. I think this song is about for me personally trying to find that freedom to not care about what people think of me and to dig deep to find the real. It came together with John and I talking about the beauty from a true smile.. the blind smile”. Dawn Moraga
“The title for ‘Blind Smile’ came about because I wanted to illustrate an event that inspired and humbled me when I was a videographer during a Visually Impaired Persons (VIP) Fishing Tournament, an event that brings hundreds of VIPs to the Outer Banks every year. I got to witness the most joy filled smiles I’ve ever encountered as they felt the scales of the fish and commented about the texture and sliminess as they saw with other senses”. John Bliven
Musically, the song moves through a few different gears. It starts out with a shoegaze feel, before the guitars sharpen up and the post-hardcore side of the band starts to take over, with an angular, repetitive pulse that at times brings Unwound to mind. When Moraga moves from restrained singing into those near-spoken-word bursts, there are also shades of early Blonde Redhead and the urgent, confrontational feel of Savages’ “Husbands”. Those outbursts break the tension open, with the guitars and drums suddenly hitting much harder and pushing the track into a visceral mix of post-hardcore, noise rock and art rock.
With Blind Smile, Cor de Lux deliver another strong preview of Year of the Horse. After “The Cringe” and “The Deli”, we’re even more curious to hear what else they’ve kept back for the full album.