Album Review: Blue Nation – Ordinary People

The Breakdown

Blue Nation turn up with an album worthy of the hype and accolades

– 8.9

Blue Nation’s fifth album, ‘The Ordinary People,’ has been long in the making and sees the band bring together a collection of material that has had time to mature, grow, and adjust, just like the band have done together. As the band states, “This album is a testament to our growth, not just as musicians, but as individuals.”

“After three years of dedicated work, we are thrilled to present “The Ordinary People.” This album represents our growth and evolution as a band. It would not have been possible without the guidance of Trevor Gibson, the strategic management of Ron Murdoch, and the unwavering support from our friends, family, and loved ones.”

We dedicated this album to our fans, both old and new. Your passion and enthusiasm have been the driving force behind us. Without you, we are nothing. While every band says this, we genuinely hope “The Ordinary People” resonates with you and becomes a meaningful part of your life’s soundtrack.

This album also features tracks from their Echoes EP (read our review here), released in 2022. Each track tells a story, capturing joy, struggle, and triumph moments. “We have poured our hearts into every lyric, note, and beat, hoping to connect with listeners on a deeper level,” something you can hear woven throughout the mix. Their inclusion on this LP shows how long they have been developed, shaped, and worked on into the blues monsters they are on this album.

Riffs galore, passionate singing, and dirty blues grooves kick things off on an instantly recognisable track by this band: ‘Hand Me Down’. Crystal clear production lets the instruments shine, but in particular, Neil’s voice, with its melodic grit, cuts through. This track, along with ‘Strangers’, ‘Every Single Time’, and ‘Old Friends’, were featured on another of the band’s recent EPs, ‘Reflections’ (read our review here).

I cannot get tired of hearing the pick me up moment on the chorus of ‘Every Single Time’, the stonking chorus of ‘Time Is A Thief’ and the dirty bass riff on ‘I Feel Low’. This will be a critical album in the band’s catalogue for a long time.

Fans will be familiar with much of this album due to the singles that have come off it, but to have them all together is a joy indeed. This may be the band’s fifth Album, but the songwriting is really, really strong here, surpassing the band’s previous effort. Because of that, it very much feels like a debut album.

The explosion of pop on the choruses of ‘Strangers’ and ‘Time Is A Thief’ propel this album along, and the expressive drumming on ‘The Reason’ and ‘Once In My Life’, a new track, has an interesting Queen vibe. The beautiful ‘Old Friends’ is up there with ‘Echoes’ in expressive power. Whereas ‘Old Friends’ has a more acoustic display, ‘Echoes’ is a belting classic that plays to the strength of Neil’s vocal cords.

Previously unreleased tracks ‘Ordinary People’, ‘Run Straight Ahead’, and ‘Worry’ complete the album and fit perfectly with the band’s older work. The rough rock riffing on ‘Ordinary People’ rolls into ‘Run Straight Ahead’s belting pop before ‘Worry’ settles things down with a beautiful acoustic moment.

An excellent arrangement of the band’s previous work mixed in with some new tracks creates a very strong album. It’s cleverly arranged, featuring old and new tracks that merge to create a cohesive piece of work that is worthy of this band’s hype.

Check out the track ‘Ordinary People’, below: