Understatement is a key facet of Meat’s artistic sensibility. So when Doug Bleichner dropped Buff Yuppie last week with zero warning and little fanfare, I shouldn’t have been surprised. I also shouldn’t have been surprised that his songwriting continues to broaden and sharpen (never mind the lo-fi nature of his solo project) into something both challenging and catchy.
Despite the sunny overtones that ooze out of the shiny guitar work, there is a vague sense of foreboding buried in Bleichner’s vocals. Throughout the EP, he combines simple observation with complex symbolism and the results are full, detailed stories which can still reside in two-minute songs.
Bleichner’s 2015 College EP was a hazy, atmospheric affair corralled by artsy hooks, but there is a feeling of urgency on Buff Yuppie that is new. Even on “Orange Hat,” one of the more prosaic songs on the record, there is a sense of gravity which only grows throughout the three following tracks, culminating with the surprisingly fierce freak-out of “Wilmington Island.” The EP’s strongest song, however, is the title track, a cautionary tale for anyone who strays into Inman Park or Buckhead, and an anthem for service workers beset by “yuppie throngs.”
On previous releases, Bleichner’s lyrics seemed somewhat inconsequential, just part of a frame supporting clever guitar work. By combining the organic dreaminess of surf music with existential inquisitions ripped out of the annals of post-punk, Bleichner proves that Meat is more than bedroom pop for afternoon highs.
Buff Yuppie is available now via Bandcamp.
More Info
Bandcamp: meatbandatlanta.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @meatbandatlanta