Blue Hour is a nine-track release from Los Angeles’ Ruby Haunt, a project active since 2015. Released in September 2018, it works from the overlap of dream pop, new wave and straightforward pop, with a song-focused shape suggested by titles such as “Sucker”, “Darling”, “Sanctuary” and “Blue Hour”. There’s a clear pull toward the softer, more romantic side of new wave rather than anything abrasive or experimental, making this a natural fit for late-night pop listeners and anyone drawn to polished, melancholy-leaning songs.
The tracklist has room for both direct titles and stranger turns, from “Sorry, Sabrina” and “Non Sense” to the longer “It Will Happen The Next Time Around”. That gives the album a little character beyond its genre tags, while the nine-song length keeps it compact. Ruby Haunt’s Los Angeles setting places Blue Hour in the city’s indie pop and dream pop orbit, without needing to dress the music up as something grander. This is a paid release, available as FLAC 16/44, ALAC, WAV, AIFF or MP3 320, with vinyl and cassette editions for people who still want a physical copy.
