The closing bars of Portland trio Blouse's "Videotapes" find Charlie Hilton singing—but trailing off and never finishing her thought—What it was like to see you again, what it was like… And you kind of figure there is no conclusion, or at least not one happy enough to repeat. Or maybe the story ends when the song starts, like love is just a cycle and you find the key when you hit rewind, so Hilton's answer is scored by the woozy intro synth that dips in and out of tune, mimicking a nervous, dreaming brain flirting with lovesick loss of consciousness, or as if the band over-drank to fight off butterflies and now they're staggering to right themselves. "Videotapes" is the first track we've heard off Blouse's presumably heart-wrenching, multiple-Kleenex-necessitating self-titled debut full-length, produced by the band's own (and Unknown Mortal Orchestra bassist) Jacob Portait. It's out November 1st on Captured Tracks.
