B-Side Guys

Chicago bleeds through every measure of Charlie & The Rare Mediums’ debut EP, not as self-conscious homage but as musical marrow. “Passage of Time” may span just 22 minutes across five tracks, but within that compact framework lies a masterclass in how to absorb tradition while refusing to be consumed by it. This is alternative blues that understands its lineage well enough to take liberties with the family name.

The production throughout establishes a purposeful middle ground between polish and grit. Opening track “I’m Onto You” immediately showcases this approach, with drums captured in a way that preserves their acoustic honesty—you hear the woody snap of sticks against rims, the breathiness of the kick drum, all while maintaining modern separation in the mix. When saxophone enters midway, it arrives not as predictable blues punctuation but as textural counterpoint, pushing against the established groove rather than merely reinforcing it.

What’s particularly striking about the EP’s sonic architecture is how it creates space for instrumental conversation. The title track demonstrates this beautifully, with buzzing guitars establishing melodic statements that drums and bass respond to rather than merely anchor. This interaction creates a sense of musicality that transcends the usual rhythm-section-supports-soloist hierarchy of less thoughtful blues rock. The mixing enhances this characteristic, placing instruments in a three-dimensional field where they maintain distinct voices while forming a cohesive whole.

“I Am All These People” serves as the EP’s emotional and temporal centerpiece, stretching nearly six minutes to explore funk-infused territory. Here, the production makes a bold choice, prioritizing groove over technical perfection. Small timing fluctuations are preserved rather than corrected, creating a human pulse that recalls the pre-click-track era of recording. The middle section’s stripped-back approach reveals confidence in the material’s fundamental strength—no need for constant stimulation when the musical foundation speaks for itself.

The collaborative “Walk A Little Stronger” featuring Ricky Liontones represents the EP’s most immersive sonic environment. The bass occupies a sweet spot in the mix—warm without muddiness, prominent without dominance—providing both harmonic foundation and melodic counterpoint. Vocal harmonies here achieve a spatial dimension lacking in much contemporary recording, with layers arranged front-to-back rather than merely stacked, creating depth rather than just density.

Closing track “Getting Lighter” brings the EP’s production philosophy full circle. The arrangement breathes naturally, with instruments entering and exiting the soundstage with deliberate purpose. The juxtaposition of laid-back verses against more propulsive chorus sections showcases sophisticated dynamic control both in performance and mixing, creating emotional momentum through contrast rather than mere volume.

Throughout “Passage of Time,” Charlie & The Rare Mediums demonstrate a nuanced understanding of blues articulation—the microtonal bends, the strategic placement of anticipated and delayed notes, the timbral shifts that give the genre its expressive power. Yet they never descend into blues taxidermy, preserving the form’s body while draining its blood. Instead, they approach these elements with reverent irreverence, maintaining the spirit while adapting the letter.

What ultimately distinguishes this EP is its relationship to time—not just thematically as the title suggests, but in its approach to recording and arrangement. These five songs exist neither as museum pieces nor as self-conscious modernizations, but in a productive tension between past and present. The mix achieves clarity without sterility, warmth without murkiness, presence without harshness.

For a debut release, “Passage of Time” shows remarkable artistic assurance. There’s no evidence of the identity crisis that often plagues first outings, where artists hedge their bets by trying to showcase every possible influence. Instead, Charlie & The Rare Mediums have carved out a specific sonic territory and explored it thoroughly, suggesting they understand that artistic depth often comes through limitation rather than expansion.

As Chicago has historically done with the blues—absorbing southern traditions and electrifying them for urban contexts—Charlie & The Rare Mediums have taken their city’s musical inheritance and refracted it through contemporary sensibilities. The result isn’t blues rock that could have been recorded anytime in the last fifty years, but music that acknowledges its roots while insisting on its relevance to the present moment.

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