Singles Spotlight:
Marty Blick –
“Blue Jeans On”

Hello reader,

How are you today? Ready to discover a new song you’ll like? Recently, we had a Spotlight that covered one of Marty Blick’s songs about working people, “Punch The Clock (And Work The Line)“. So relatable for the masses, including us at SWT. It’s arguably among the best songs of that ilk in the past few years, as it rightfully puts respect on those who punch the clock and work the repetitive line. Consider the song on par with some of the tunes of this generation from Jesse Welles and Bryan Andrews, among others. Check those musicians out if you are unfamiliar.

Marty Blick is the project of Martin Brableck, a songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist currently based in St Louis, originally calling Chicago home, where he was best known for playing in multiple bands, including neo-psych pop band Daydream Review.

I was fortunate enough to hear his upcoming debut full-length album under this project, entitled Neighborhood Cat, which will be released on Friday, May 15th. This release was inspired by a harrowing experience, though not uncommon in the inclement weather atmosphere hotbed that is the Midwestern US. As the press release for the album notes, “On a May afternoon (2025), an F3 tornado directly struck Blick during his afternoon commute, spinning his truck, and dropping a large tree limb across the cab. Blick’s little brush with death was all the impetus he needed to start putting pen to paper and his mouth to the microphone.”

As one might imagine, that life-altering experience led to reflection and the crafting of some memorable music. Truly. Blick says, “Neighborhood Cat consists of eight songs that are about eight different things, including growing old, losing your youth to meaningless jobs, alley cats, alienation from fellow man and nature, funeral wishes, sleeping in jeans, talking to the devil while dying from an opioid overdose in the woods, et cetera. I wrote several more songs about several more things, but these are the first eight that came together satisfactorily. Like you, I am living in the end times, but I am alive, and I am living the mundane, unimportant life that I always wanted to live. For the first time ever, I am in love with the world around me.”

In my opinion, another fantastic song on Neighborhood Cat is “Blue Jeans On.” It’s got the same sorrow due to a bleak matter-of-fact life experience about money problems, family drama and more that will remind listeners of the vibes of “Punch The Clock (And Work The Line)” and other songs on Neighborhood Cat, but its melody, which turns funky in all the best ways at times with some bass grooves, along with a portion of the lyrics provide some hope for the future. There’s talk of shaking ass while enjoying listening to and experiencing music. Perhaps the only happy moment in this character’s day. Which serves as a reminder to many how important music is in one’s life and how much music improves one’s life. Don’t ever lose sight of that. This song captures that well. Toss in a few elevated noise guitar solos where the guitar truly shreds for a moment, and the fuller band sound listening experience sticks with you, as does the song. Regardless of the melody or theme of the song, the entire album sticks with you as a whole. This song serves as a great intro to Marty Blick and is once again worthy of being part of our Singles Spotlight series.

But don’t just take my word for it, take a listen for yourself below. And let us know what you think.

The cover art for Neighborhood Cat:

The track list for Neighborhood Cat:

1. Apollo [3:02]
2. Punch The Clock (And Work The Line) [3:42]
3. Neighborhood Cat [3:20]
4. On The Breakwater [3:13]
5. Throw My Body In The Trash [3:03]
6. Blue Jeans On [3:28]
7. Walking On Clouds [4:09]
8. Farwell House [2:58]

Alex M Theel

Co-Founder, Reviewer, Content Creator, Business side, Editor at Scummy Water Tower Productions | Web

Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site, scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions and SWT Interviews. And all of our socials.
Questions, feedback, or more? Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com