The jaunty rhythm and bright synth accents on don’t get lemon’s synth pop song “Blow-Up” recalls the subversive pairing of dark themes with buoyant compositions that were a hallmark of some of the better 80s post-punk and New Wave. The electronic flute sound that introduces the song before the slightly distorted bass line anchors bursts of expansive melodic pulses and soulful and strong yet introspective vocals takes over is almost ironic in context but it all balances out the songwriting so that lines like “Anything within me will blow-up/Is this the death you’re dreaming of” can hit with an anthemic force. The imagery of the song suggests the visual sense of dreams before the underlying nightmare asserts itself, a testament to the cut-up method used to assemble the lyrics so that they can tap into a subconscious process and thus evade more straightforward, logical analysis and work as poetry that can ride that wave of irresistible yet moody melody and jubilant rhythm into your mind and strike with an unexpected poignancy. In that way it’s reminiscent of how XTC transitioned from well-crafted post-punk pop to a more streamlined, perfect pop songcraft that didn’t skimp on the possibilities of powerful emotional expression built into that format. Apparently the song shares its name with Michaeangelo Antonioni’s 1966 film and its own foreground of swinging London and its hedonism with its own underlying darkness and this layered cultural reference and methodology in songwriting is what makes this song as well as much of don’t get lemon’s music much more than simply synth pop or post-punk or simple genre jamming.
Queen City Sounds and Art 
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