Mercury Lounge (New York City, NY)
01/15/23
Blanket Approval played an electric set at the iconic Mercury Lounge in New York City. The indie rock band consists of lead singer Jack Matteucci, drummer and vocalist Joey Hadden, bassist Max Mena, and keyboardist and guitarist Rahul Chakraborty. The four-piece band formed just under two years ago, and have already garnered an impressive following. The band blends elements of heavier rock with tight melodies and groovy bass lines to create songs that are deeply emotionally cathartic while still being fun and lively.
The band kicked off the show with fan favorite “Stop” and maintained their contagious energy song after song, the crowd mirroring their energy. The newest Blanket Approval release, “My Soft Spots My Robots,” is sung by Joey herself as she plays the drums. The song is a contagious sing-along about learning to let your walls down and fully enjoy something powerfully good (and maybe a little scary) in your life. Sonically, it’s a really catchy one that lies somewhere between indie-rock and post-punk. The band kept the mood light and airy, making jokes in between each song before eventually ending their gig with an unreleased song titled, “Running off to Nowhere.” This fast-paced tune was a bit heavier than their other songs, which made it the perfect way to finish off the exhilarating set.
In February, Blanket Approval will be releasing a new song called “Two Broken Halves (make a whole lotta fun);” it’s a driving dance-rock song about a relationship and it is seriously straight out of a jaded ’90s romcom. The band already has quite the year ahead of them, and they even share that we can expect an E.P. in the summer!
