Blue Ray is the frenetic, kooky outlet of musician Johnny Steines, the lone creative mind behind BR’s ninth release, GrubHub. Grubhub is an amalgamation of abstract indie weirdness, a collection of lofi tunes that presumably rattled around in Steines’ brain minutes before being recorded and bounced. It’s part Guided by Voices, part Wire, and part Pavement, exhibiting Steines’ unique relationship with each band’s niche, whether it be GBV’s touch-and-go recording approach, Wire’s arty sensibilities, or Pavement’s juvenile hyperactiveness. It’s these types of releases that can reveal raw creative intuition from its creator, where more often than not, the album serves as a real time transcript of the process. GrubHub is both insane and clever, and it deserves a listen or two. Stream it below. -Charley Ruddell
