Media Mediocracy Coming off of the success of their debut, self-titled EP, Clarion have returned with Blue Fairy, a follow-up EP that expands upon the sound the East LA noise-rock/shoegaze band set out to create when they first formed in 2023. Their initial breakthrough single of “Hello Juliet” has since been streamed over 20 million times across all platforms, and Clarion appear poised to breakout in a big way on Blue Fairy. Clarion is Saya Oliva (vocals/bass), Joseph Quezada (drums), and Anthony Sanchez (guitar), and they’re built for sustained success on this vibrant new record brimming with unlimited potential for the band.
The EP starts off on the right foot with the title track that explores mortality and faith as Saya croons, “Oh my / I could never die / Oh my / Would you like to try?” The band sounds as tight-knit as they’ve ever been on songs like this that highlight the talent these musicians share as a unit. “Accolade” continues down the path of self-discovery as Clarion deliver breakneck guitar transitions paired with smooth as silk vocals to create a mesh of sounds that work well off of each other’s differences. “Tetra” begins with some wailing guitars that bleed away into a machine-gun drumming attack from Quezada, while Saya Olivia continues to be as captivating as she’s ever been in her vocal approach.
The key single of “Media Mediocracy” is sure to be a staple in the band’s live set for the foreseeable future, as it accentuates the strengths of each band member of Clarion over the lyrics about the dangers of believing everything we read and see on the news. The noisy song is reminiscent of bands like Sleater-Kinney paired with the punk rock style of The Distillers. “Cover Me” is as close to a ballad as Clarion is willing to offer in their arsenal, and the mid-tempo track picks its spots in when it wants to be loud and vibrant, versus bellowing in the darkness. EP closer of “Lotus” showcases the depth to the dynamic sound that Clarion are capable of creating when they’re firing on all creative cylinders together. Often times you can point to a moment in a band’s trajectory when you know they’re meant for big things, and Clarion’s Blue Fairy EP has all the makings of future stars in the shoegaze scene. Clarion are here to stay, and they have no problem being your next favorite music discovery.