“Drifting from this world.”
Belgian shoegaze four-piece Slow Crush entered the scene in 2017 with EP Ease. Packed full of dizzy textures and rich ambiance, it set the stage for two proper full-lengths over the next four years. Now, after a four-year gap between releases, Slow Crush returned to work with producer Lewis Johns for the first time. New LP Thirst showcases a band making a comeback, having signed to a new and larger label. This time, the band sets out to differentiate themselves in a busy space of post-rock-infused shoegaze.
Stare at the sun,
Forget everyone,
I’m a liar.
I’m no lie,
I’m no liar.
Opener and title track “Thirst” introduces the wall of sound that will occupy much of the next 39 minutes. A safe choice, continuing where Hush left off, but immediately establishes some of the most memorable segments of the album. The first iteration of the chorus comes in the midst of a trough, before later returning with the backing in full force, which makes for a very strong first impression. Subsequent track “Covet” starts in similar fashion, but then goes the other direction. A solid introductory segment, airy verses, and blown-out chorus, the second instance gives way to a goddamn saxophone solo. Unexpected and quite well-placed, it provides the first signal of some curveballs to come.
Sear in shade,
Wash air clear,
Twist your tongues,
I lost,
Shed your skin.
Lead single “Cherry” came out all the way back in January, leaving a good seven months to ponder it. This one leaves a little bit less to grab onto, though a dynamic section weaves crunchy riffs into the bridge as an interstitial. Of particular note, the vocals being swallowed up by the surrounding textures makes for a nice crescendo where it fades out into “Leap”, which features a slow ramp-up to another loud guitar section. This motif appears often throughout the album and consistently demonstrates Slow Crush‘s prowess at this sound.
Slow Crush excels at creating and then interrupting dreamy soundscapes. The screamed vocals at the end of the largely ambient “Hollow” provide one such example before jumping into “Haven”, itself another highlight. Several tracks generally have this formula, where the more standard shoegaze segments are cut to pieces by heavy leads with a lot of low end. With that said, a lot of the best moments come from when they depart from the standards. The lullaby-style intro and themes within “While You Dream Vividly” represent a turning point in Thirst where these departures become the focal points of their respective tracks.
Grasp me tight like the coil of a gun,
In this void we fear no pain.
Loss of words and a slip of tongue,
We love to hurt.
“Bloodmoon”, as one such case, features their best Holy Fawn impression, as my colleague Desk pointed out. As the final single in the running order, it revolves around a twisting arpeggio in its first half. An interlude later, it’s replaced with a less precise, more atmospheric number that drops off into the sparse “Ógilt“. This ambient piece develops slowly with faraway strings before leading into the closer.
“Hlýtt” leans heavily into the post-rock style structure with its own crescendo moments, especially upon exiting the first verse. Given it had its own lead-up, it took about five minutes to get there, but thankfully, it delivers. It bursts open one final time before the end, tidying up the album with layered clean and unclean vocals before cutting the lights at once.
With Thirst, Slow Crush deliver a worthy follow-up to Hush that shines with some of the risks taken, like the outro to “Covet” and the sleepy “While You Dream Vividly”. Its more run-of-the-mill moments are there, especially in the first half, and tend to knock off some of the sheen, as well done as they are. Even so, for that shoegaze fan in your life, Slow Crush pulls off their metal-tinged sound very competently, and that’s certainly something to celebrate.
7.5/10
Thirst releases this Friday, August 29th, via Pure Noise, and can be pre-ordered here.