Illinois-raised punk rock band Harrison Gordon is stepping into a new chapter with BLISS, their sophomore album arriving September 4 via Hopeless Records.
What started as Harrison Gordon’s solo project in 2020 has grown into a full-fledged band shaped by the DIY punk community, packed basement shows, and a growing online following. After the self-released The Yuppies Are Winning and the Spring Break EP, the band could have easily leaned into the formula that helped them gain attention. Instead, BLISS takes a rougher, more unpredictable approach.
Across eleven tracks, the album embraces imperfections rather than hiding them. Punk energy, emo vulnerability, and indie-rock sensibilities collide throughout the record, creating something that feels intentionally messy, personal, and alive. There is an urgency to these songs, but underneath the distortion and noise is a genuine emotional core.
1. “Weirdo”
Opening BLISS with “Weirdo” feels like an immediate introduction to the world Harrison Gordon has created. “Weirdo” is a loud, restless, unapologetic, and being completely comfortable with being a little strange track. The track captures that feeling of never quite fitting into the mold everyone else seems to follow, turning awkwardness and individuality into something worth celebrating rather than hiding. There’s a youthful energy running through the song, but beneath the punchy punk attitude is a genuine sense of vulnerability. “Weirdo” doesn’t try to make being different sound glamorous; it simply embraces it, making for an honest and instantly engaging start to the album.
2. “Milwaukee Josh”
“Milwaukee Josh” has a loose, almost conversational quality that gives it plenty of personality. The song feels like a story pulled directly from real life, with Harrison Gordon turning an oddly specific moment into something memorable.
3. “Like Me Less”
One of the more emotionally revealing moments on the record, “Like Me Less” taps into insecurity and the fear of becoming less important to someone. Its vulnerability gives the punk energy a more personal weight.
4. “Not Working! Not Working!”
Restless and frantic, this track perfectly captures the frustration of feeling stuck. The repeated title mirrors that mental loop of knowing something isn’t working but struggling to figure out how to fix it. The energy also plays an important role. There is a sense that the song is constantly moving forward even when the person at its center feels completely stationary. That contrast makes the track feel restless in a very natural way.
5. “Pretty”
“Pretty” brings a softer emotional edge to the album while still maintaining its rough around the edges character. It explores attraction and vulnerability without becoming overly polished or sentimental.
6. “Scab”
“Scab” feels raw in every sense of the word. There’s an uncomfortable intensity to the track that makes it one of the album’s grittier moments, turning emotional wounds into something loud and impossible to ignore.
7. “Sight of Blood”
Darkness creeps further into the album with “Sight of Blood.” The track carries an unsettling atmosphere while maintaining the band’s knack for explosive punk songwriting.
8. “Middle Name”
“Middle Name” feels intimate and reflective, giving the album another opportunity to slow down emotionally. It’s a song about the small details that can carry surprisingly large emotional meaning.
9. “Oh God”
With its title alone, “Oh God” sounds like an emotional breaking point and the song delivers that feeling. It’s anxious, messy, and honest, capturing the overwhelming feeling of having too much happening at once.
10. “Buffalo Jim”
“Buffalo Jim” brings another dose of personality into the final stretch. Its character-driven approach makes it stand out while continuing the album’s larger theme of finding meaning in seemingly ordinary experiences.
11. “Bliss”
The album’s title track closes everything out with a sense of reflection. Rather than offering a perfectly polished conclusion, “Bliss” feels like an acceptance of life’s contradictions; the chaos, imperfections, uncertainty, and occasional moments of happiness that make everything worthwhile.
BLISS works because Harrison Gordon doesn’t seem interested in making everything sound perfect. The rough edges are part of the experience. Across eleven songs, the band moves between humor, anxiety, vulnerability, frustration, and youthful uncertainty while maintaining the raw energy that made their DIY roots so appealing.
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