-=- SHGZ -=- * Shoegaze * Indie * Post-Rock * Grunge * Dream Pop * Psych-Rock * Ethereal * ARTIST..: Slow Crush ALBUM...: Aurora GENRE...: Indie STYLE...: Shoegaze, Grunge, Dream Pop, Alternative, Post-Rock YEAR....: 2018 LABEL...: Holy Roar ENCODER.: LAME 3.98.4 -V0 BITRATE.: 263 kbps avg QUALITY.: 44.1kHz / Joint Stereo SOURCE..: CD TRACKS..: 8 SIZE....: 64.08 MB URL..: - TRACKLIST 1 Glow 4:02 2 Drift 4:07 3 Tremble 6:03 4 Shallow Breath 3:48 5 Aid And Abet 3:03 6 Collide 5:03 7 Beached 3:19 8 Aurora 4:50 Total Playtime: 34:15 By now, there's nothing revolutionary about pairing slow tempos and gentle vocals with huge walls of crushing guitar noise. Loveless came out twenty-seven years ago, and has spawned massive waves of followers. But still, there are a few bands that manage to cut through the crowds of the copycats and wannabes with music that takes cues from the shoegaze tropes will still sounding fresh. Belgium's Slow Crush is one of those bands. The guitars alternate from gritty fuzz to molten reverb creating a thick atmosphere. The drums switch tempos on a dime, going from breakneck rock and roll to plodding doom in the course of a few bars. And over the dense, heavy haze is Isa Holliday's soaring altoùwhich is naturally coated in echo. There's nothing new here. Melding crushing heaviness with light ambience has been the M.O. of just about every shoegaze band ever. But to be honest, shoegaze fans don't really want anything new. I certainly don't. They just want it to be done well. And Slow Crush certainly does that. Aurora is a fine entry in the shoegaze revival. And while it might not necessarily appeal to anyone who's not already into that thing, it's sure to keep the purists happy. * It was one of those rare moments where you might be minding your own business and really not that bothered by what you're listening to as you casually flick the radio channel over when suddenly the notes and sound greet your ears like angels from upon high, or in this case Angels carrying very loud guitars. You are no longer a casual bystander to the music on the radio, you're absorbed in the music itself. So now I had to listen to the entire album, closely. Not one song in this album disappointed. Slow Crush are a cross between Ozean and My Bloody Valentine and it's fair to say, in their own unique way, just as good as both of them. The Album is a mix between heavy and soft and their stand out tune Tremble reflects that quality. It's a mix of pure beauty and will give something to all fans of Shoegaze. * Holy Roar Records has become such a dependable and trusted label that when a band is signed to their roster you can bet the band weaves a unique or innovative contrast into the fabric of whichever core genre they have chosen. One of the music label's more recent additions is Manchester/Belgium's Slow Crush who, at their core, is a heavy shoegaze quartet. With that kind of brand, it's difficult to review such a band without namedropping the obvious leaders of said genre whom every band in their wake bears some sort of semblance to: My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive. However, there are a number of interesting and compelling features within Slow Crush's hazy dreamlike sounds which separates them from any other run-of-the-mill downtempo bands. There is a palpable sense of relaxation that this band oozes, for even before their audience has listened to any of this Slow Crush's debut album, the band teases what kind of soundscape to expect within the track's literal titles. Thus, each song on "Aurora", lays down a distinct vibe which corresponds to the imagery these literally-titled tracks would depict. "Shallow Breath" revolves around a riff that hyperventilates before giving way to long sighing melodies, meanwhile, across turbulent currents of dense grooves Isa Holliday's translucent vocals glide graciously on the surface of "Drift". In contrast, Slow Crush lull you into a false sense of security during "Collide" by way of incredibly spacious melodies, whereby you wait expectantly for some plummeting drop to literally 'collide', however, it never arrives. It's at this point you realise that the word collide doesn't dictate how much force is behind the impact. On this occasion, this collision of searching melodies and gentle drumming is no more forceful than a light brush. Slow Crush is able to create a soothing, comfortable and safe sounding harmony of faint, rippling melodies and tender singing in every song of "Aurora" thanks to how balanced the mixing of Isa's gossamer vocals and her bandmember's rhythm sections in specific moments are throughout the album. Initially, her misty singing is indecipherable in tracks such as the ebbing "Glow" and the alluringly mysterious "Aid and Abet" which both reflects the band's shoegaze influence. However, on repeated listens, her voice becomes less of a distant dream and more or a lucid experience. Alternatively, the anxious melodies and thrumming bass during "Tremble" dissolves, allowing her beautiful vocals to appear at their most wistfully vibrant- another way in which Slow Crush toys with your original expectations of what the song may sound like. Contrary to its cushiony atmosphere, "Aurora" has a distinct focus directed upon dazzling, pretty melodies, yearning and hopeful vocal lines and an overall sensitivity that anyone could appreciate. Complete with such a dreamy and illustrative soundscape, this debut album is a fantastic statement of intent, laden with enough hooks and enough deviation from typical shoegaze characteristics to render them (for want of a better term) different. Admittedly, those heavy shoegaze fans who long for the unique experiments which bands such as M°l, Alcest and Deafheaven undertake, which whisk you away into the stratosphere and beyond, may feel disappointed by the barefaced approach Slow Crush displays. Irrespective of how you like your shoegaze served, all can agree that Slow Crush has delivered a gorgeous debut album which is heavy like a large gloomy raincloud priming itself to burst, yet, simultaneously radiates warmth, comfort and safety. * A compelling abrasive shoegaze band, dealing with the aesthetics of contrasting sounds. Heavy like a gloomy dream yet soothingly vibrant. The vulnerable soft floating voice of Manchester's Isa Holliday underneath layers of grungy shoegaze soaked noisepop, seeking shelter from a f'ed up world. They debuted live March 2017, released 'ease' their first e.p. in May 2017 through Flood, White Russian and Dingleberry records. Played Roadburn festival 2017 in The Netherlands, Fluff fest in Czech Republic, toured Germany, Belgium, France, Holland, UK, Hungary. Played shows with bands like Brutus, Oathbreaker, Sleepmakeswaves, Turnover, Nothing, .... all of this in their first six months of being an active band. The band recorded their debut LP 'Aurora' towards the end of 2017 at The Ranch Production house in Southampton with Neil D. Kennedy who produced bands like Milk Teeth, Creeper, Boston Manor,... 'Aurora' was mastered at The Atomic Garden by Jack Shirley known for his work with Deafheaven, Oathbreaker, The Smith Street Band,à At around the same time Slow Crush signed with the London based Holy Roar Records whom will release their much anticipated debut LP on the 12th of September 2018. -=- SHGZ -=- P.S. ** Thanks *** *** BCC FNT IPC SSR *** *** For Knowing Where The Music Is At *** *** Props to CaHeSo, awesome Asian Indie/Shoegaze *** *** And to FANG/HOUND for supporting all the Indie lovers out there *** --===-- ********************* * NuHS we miss you! * *********************