Between new bands and old ones coming back after decades of inactivity, there’s more shoegaze out there now than ever before. With plenty of artists pulling from similar influences it can sometimes be hard to tell them apart, but one that’s stood out over the past few years is Belgium’s Slow Crush. Their first two albums explored a mix of shoegaze and dream pop, with 2021’s Hush opting for a bit more space and subdued textures that felt like it was channeling some post rock at times. Four years later Thirst has flipped things to the opposite side of the spectrum, opting for a denser and darker sound that’s as driving and heavy as it is dreamlike. It’s a natural expansion of the group’s style that has some genuinely hypnotic moments and solidifies them as one of the more exciting modern acts in the genre.
The title track does initially make it seem as though Slow Crush has continued alongside a very similar trajectory as Hush, as it opens with a breezy tempo and dense layers of guitar and bass that provide a dreamlike atmosphere. But when the slower transition hits right around the minute mark, there’s a noticeable density to Thirst that is different from its predecessors. There’s a darker, heavier slant to moments like this that channel the doomgaze slant of bands like Jesu and later Hum, but Slow Crush smartly uses this as an additional stylistic flourish rather than retreading that same formula. There’s still plenty of the Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine approach here as well, but alongside the heavier elements the band has also incorporated plenty of other surprises. Sometimes that comes in the form of the jazzier saxophone solo at the end of “Covet”, while “Leap” and “Haven” have some jagged edges that bring some post hardcore into the mix. Where Hush took a bit longer to sink in, Thirst is more immediate and the urgency of the tempos does play a significant part in that. The only track I’m not thrilled with is “Ógilt”, which opts for a droning instrumental that stretches out just a bit too far and deflates some of the momentum, but this isn’t a huge issue considering just how strong the bulk of the material is.
Isa Holliday has the type of ethereal pitch that’s perfectly suited for anything shoegaze adjacent, and the way that the singing seems to move in between the layers of instrumentation creates this dreamlike atmosphere to many of the songs. But rather than just staying ethereal and detached for an entire album, there’s a bit more to the performance on Thirst that make it more dynamic. Songs like “Leap” peel away some of the echo in favor of a more direct and emotional approach, while “Hollow” begins with a trip hop approach to the vocals before opening into some unexpected screaming that blends together with the sudden burst of noise. Slow Crush has had strong performances on their last two albums, but Thirst feels like it pushes outwards towards a wide range of styles and that works to their advantage.
Slow Crush has made some noticeable tweaks on album three, opting for some faster tempos and heavier sound that channels a bit of the doomgaze side of the spectrum without fully flipping over to that style. That density and weight combined with the softer, ethereal moments and hints of softer alternative provides a lot of substance for listeners to discover. Compared to its predecessor the hooks pull you in a bit faster, but I think they’re both incredible efforts that are worth taking your time with so you can get lost in the layers of sound. Thirst is available from Pure Noise Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg