Bringing many artists together guarantees a wide variety of sounds; Kevin Abstract does just that, with his niche in music serving to bring great artists together. Blush brings together predominantly Houston talent that represents his hometown, with some notable artists to draw in a wider audience. Back in 2017, he went on a run with boy band BROCKHAMPTON that saturated playlists, releasing back to back to back albums throughout the year. Spearheading this new project, Kevin Abstract uses his name to share with the world that he loves to collaborate.
Abstract’s rollout of Blush had a great focus aura-farming the talented Dominic Fike, who has been in and out of the media in recent years. Dominic’s vocals continue to be utilized in the best way, seen on the leading single, “Geezer,” a dainty and fun song that reminisces on the track Fike made with Paul McCartney a few years ago. Shortly after the release of the project, the two named their companionship in collaboration Geezer, characterizing the notability of their two other tracks “Maroon” and “Doggy.”
The album definitely had to grow on me. Fike was a great gateway to gravitate me to the project, as well as Abstract’s project Blanket that I felt went under the radar back in 2023. Blush is a dynamic album that pieces regions of sounds into one large project; however, a critique that I had in early listening sessions was a feeling of incohesiveness. I felt as though while the songs transitioned well between each other, it was all over the place. I couldn’t latch onto one style or understand how Kevin’s impact reached each song. Every track was its own theme, its own sound. I had trouble getting through the whole thing as it didn’t feel like one continuous experience. However, it seems to be a result of letting each artist shine, which I can respect.
Songs from the beginning did create an alluring experience for me to come back to, giving me the urge to give this album another chance. “Danny’s Track” is a prelude with a smooth transition into the glistening track,“Yoko Ono,” which stuck out to me from the beginning. I especially like the ending of the track when it turns into a dark spacey vibe with the guitar twang Kevin Abstract has used time and time again. The song’s use of an eerie yet intimate guitar line carried over heavy emphasis on the guitar elements that gravitated me to Abstract’s previous album Blanket. “H-Town” was another track that I enjoyed from the first play, opening up the album with a smooth and steady beat praising the gratefulness to still be alive.
Love Spells, a relatively new artist from Houston with dreamy, ethereal vocals, held a prominent role in the project, adding a picturesque touch to the heartfelt ballads. “Post Break Up Beauty” is an uplifting, bittersweet track that sheds light to the positive side of the healing process in grieving a break up. I met with Love Spells after the concert, during which he was very grateful to be able to share his music with Texas. Truly Young, the girl by his side, had a stage presence drenched in confidence. Her role on tracks like “Doggy” and “NOLA” added a female vocal presence that stuck the project with a feminine touch.
While Abstract maintains a smaller audience on the internet, their devotion is integral to the persona he puts on for the crowd. Abstract doesn’t act big and famous, despite his successful past. He realizes he is for the people, and continues to interact with the crowd in such a way. While he uses his name on the project/event, it is not his: It belongs to his hometown, his friends, and the audience. It’s an admirable trait to Abstract that was seen at ACL, when he spent majority of the time singing directly in front of the crowd, on their level. It’s cool to see that despite what he’s been able to do in the space, he doesn’t let it get to his head; in that way, it feels like he’s just another person, equal to the audience.
His show was intimate and personal. A room of about 300 people, sold out, packed us in like sardines. Tall people barricaded the view, but we kept pushing. The show opened with about six people on stage, all jumping around. It could be compared to a knock off BROCKHAMPTON, just with Houston natives. Funny enough, he had to remind the crowd, “This is not BROCKHAMPTON, y’all.” They all took turns delivering their verses over the back tracks, all hyping each other up and having a good time, with their energy transferring to the sold-out crowd.
In the end, the concert wasn’t anything truly incredible; on its own, a bunch of people running around a stage, rapping over their parts on back tracks, isn’t a musical experience that is very impressive. However, Blush wasn’t made to be a highly polished or successful project by the industry standards. The album will serve to be remembered as a time period in their lives where they all came together to create what Houston has to offer, having lots of fun collaborating along the way.
