He might be best known for his role in establishing the seminal Southern California record label Lolipop records, but Wyatt Blair is also a very accomplished artist in his own right. He’s going to release a new EP next month called For The First Time and today we’re premiering the final single from that album before its release, “Pop Your Heart Out.”
The song is exactly what you’d expect from power-pop: sugary vocal hooks, an upbeat tempo and crunchy distorted guitars. Like his garage rock contemporaries White Reaper, Blair mixes in elements of arena rock and glam rock to his sound, highlighted by the melodic guitar leads and blazing guitar solo. While entirely modern, it’s not hard to envision kids in the ’80s, wearing acid-washed jeans, pumping their fists along with the anthemic verses and chorus. Lyrically, the song is universally relatable, urging everyone to wear their heart on their sleeve and not be afraid of being themselves.
It’s been a busy year for Blair, who left Los Angeles and moved to Flagstaff, AZ before returning back to his native Southern California. For The First Time was recorded in his home studio in Flagstaff, AZ and cuts away some of the excess from his previous releases, focusing instead on straight-ahead power-pop. “I think maybe I was trying too hard in the studio on my last couple of albums to add more instruments on a track, or cut things up more” he said. “With For The First Time, I just wanted to write some straight pop-rock tunes.”