On “Hits,” Jacksonville’s BlissFund Utilizes a Reductionist Approach to Blend Folk and Rock

Jacksonville’s BlissFund was started in 2018 primarily as a writing project by G.A. Mallinson. 

“Hits,” the opening track from his new full-length release Revelator, finds Mallinson deploying a plain-spoken, talking-folk-blues approach. Simple chords strummed over abstract guitar swells, a drumbeat that is minimal and tentative, and the song’s narrator dealing out ambiguities in a love story that he considers “lighting a match / to set ablaze” makes “Hits” play like a somber threat to one’s serotonin levels. 

The sound of “Hits” and the remainder of Revelator is driven (at very low speeds) by Mallinson’s apprehensive voice that dips in and out of tune, and a consistent sameness to the songs—elements pushed front and center that might not draw in arena hordes. But the intent seems pure enough, and the reductionist approach that Mallinson utilizes is a nice antidote to the “more-is-more” cluttered and bombastic compositional and production choices of many present-day musicians tossing out DIY releases like faded lottery tickets. 

• Stream “Hits” by BlissFund

BlissFund plays Voo Swar in Atlantic Beach with fellow locals Chalooby, Tidal Daze and the Citrus Trees on Saturday, October 21. Limited copies of Revelator will be available on compact disk at the show.

You can hear new tracks from Animal Collective, and music from local, regional, national and international artists on our music discovery station The Independent 89.9 HD4. And you can follow our Fresh Squeeze playlist on Spotify to stream all the best new music, updated every month.