Blood Donor: Autofiction - Just what the doctor ordered

We each have our Covid-19 stories, but Luke Reilly’s is perhaps more extreme than others. The former lead singer with rock band Otherkin (which split up in 2019) was all set to release his debut solo album in early 2020. When the pandemic arrived, however, he went back to doing what he did before Otherkin went full time: working as a doctor. When Covid restrictions diminished, he guested with various musicians at various gigs, and knew he would once again be compelled to dive back into music.

Autofiction, then, has been a long time coming. The difference in song structure between past music and new is remarkable and intriguing: where Otherkin at their best could power-wash granite slabs from mildewed green to sparkling honey, Blood Donor take a smoother route.

A particular high point is Waking Up in the Emergency Room, a hazy tune that contains surely the first use of the word “amitriptyline” (a drug mostly used as a painkiller) in a pop song. There is much more than that, however. Among other fine tracks, the piano-led ballad Listen to the Girl, the reflective pop smarts of Baby No More, and the climactic guitar-drama of She Gives Me Power add up to a songwriter with his fingers very much on the pulse.