'All Blown Up', the brilliant debut release from The Blank Stares is one of those CDs that I can listen to for days on end without tiring. Irresistably cheerful and upbeat and always amazing. This album is a pleasure to the ears. Great pop songwriting, incredible engineering and stellar vocals. Take one half Big Star add to that one half Teenage Fan Club with a dash of Sloan, that is what awaits you when you press play. Make no mistake about it though, The Blank Stares have created a sound that is all their own. The Blank Stares are, Carlos DeLeon on vocals, guitars and piano, Tom Galbraith on drums and vocals and rounding out the band is Tami Gargus on bass and vocals. All songs are excellent but some highlights include the guitar driven power pop gem, "Song That Brought The World To Ruin", the poppy "Daylights"" with an infectious chorus, the melodic "Here She Comes" with very tasty guitar work arranged to perfection, and the upbeat "Dynamite Sneakers". 'All Blown Up' is amazing on so many levels, I don't even know quite where to begin! There is something here for everyone who likes power pop. Every track is so well crafted that it's worth every penny. If you're a newcomer to The Blank Stares and have read this far, forget what else you're looking at and order ALL BLOWN UP immediately. You can thank me later, but your ears will thank you first.

Highly Recommended