Best Indie-Rock Debut in Nashville 2026: Bleary, Little Brain
Album art: Bleary, ‘Little Brain’
Way back in 2019, Bleary’s Gates EP immediately lodged itself into my local-rock heavy rotation with fuzzy, melodic indie-rock jams like “Ghost.” At long last, they’ve followed up with a proper full-length that shows real artistic growth without losing their rock ’n’ roll edge. On Little Brain, Bleary pulls back ever so slightly on their shoegaze roots and lets the interwoven vocals of Callan Dwan and Peter Mercer cut through the reverb. Songs like “Sugar Splint” are built on earworm pop harmonies, fueled by the sort of hooks that were emblematic of the best tunes released by ’90s alt-rock major DGC Records.
