Song Of The Day: Bleed — “Burnt (By The Sun)”

The Alt-Rocking Dallas Four-Piece May Be Fresh To The Scene, But The Sound Heard Throughout Their Debut EP Is Recognizably Straight Out Of The ’90s.

Welcome to Song of the Day, where we hip you to all the new local releases you should be caring about. By highlighting one new North Texas-sprung tune every week day, our hope is that you’ll find something new to love about the rich and abundant DFW music scene five days a week.

Bleed — “Burnt (By the Sun)”
RIYL: walking on the sun
What else you should know: Bleed is a promising young band from the 214 area code that recently unleashed a four-song EP called Somebody’s Closer that’s kicked off by a track called “Burnt (By The Sun)” that stands as a fine example of the ’90s rock throwback aesthetic at the center of their sound.

Granted, being inspired by bands like Quicksand, Far and Hum has never really gone completely out of style, but few modern bands hit the nail quite on the head as Bleed does.

Vocalist/guitarist Ryan Hughes is the key ingredient to Bleed’s sound. With a clear approach to his singing and a solid understanding of melody, his effort makes all the difference on “Burnt (By The Sun)” and throughout Somebody’s Closer. With a more aggressive approach to the vocals, Bleed might come off as more metal-inclined, but that’s not really the situation here.

Still, “Burnt (By The Sun) — tracked at Fort Worth’s Cloudland Studio — is quite an eardrum-buster. Anchored by the loose, but hard-hitting limbs from drummer Carson Wilcox, bassist Adam Ackerman, guitarists Noah Boyce and Hughes lay on the thickness from there. Lyrically, the song seems like a question of understanding: “I want to know if I’m falling backwards / searching for your kindness / reeling from your woeful request / sending thoughts of fear down low” goes one line. Take it for what you will, as it feels like an open-ended query left open for interpretation — although that aspect, too, feels like a very ’90s alternative prospect.

Hell, even the artwork employed by the band on Somebody’s Closer has a decidedly throwback feel, looking like something that could have been used for artwork for acts like Crumb, Curve or hed(PE).

Bleed might be young around here, but they’re obviously old souls. And what they have on their hands with “Burnt (By The Sun)” is an impressive introduction to their sound.

Here’s looking forward — or, perhaps more appropriately, behind — to whatever they come up with next.