Review Summary: accessigaze for the potential masses
The age old phrase “
I don’t get why they aren’t bigger” is usually reserved for either a) hyper-experimental artists whose music makes it very obvious why they aren’t bigger or b) neon pop punk outfits releasing Metro Station impersonations in 2022 whose music makes it very obvious why they aren’t bigger. Allow me to introduce Slowly: a band where, I swear, I don’t get why they aren’t bigger.
I’m not saying the Canadian one-man project should be the most popular thing in the world - it’s shoegaze after all - but rather, the brand new
Distance proves that there’s a decent audience unknowingly waiting to discover Slowly. For every deliciously dense and reverb-drenched riff in its spaced out compositions, the band presents an irresistible chorus or equally catchy instrumental melody. As such,
Distance is about as accessible as grunge-tinged gaze gets, without succumbing to blandness or losing the genre’s essential ethereal properties. The sparkly ‘Slowspoke’ and ‘Death of Me’ make for excellent case studies as they constitute well-rounded pop rock songs filtered through several layers of haze. Slowly shines in their focus on detail; for example, the stretched second verse of ‘Slowspoke’ seems to disintegrate almost entirely before switching back into the song’s uplifting and comparatively crystal-clear chorus. Similarly, ‘Spark’ presents the record’s catchiest cut, yet manages to find time for a lengthy bridge that patiently builds and releases tension.
However,
Distance suffers slightly under its lyrical content. While the themes of loneliness and heartbreak fit the accessigaze sound of the record perfectly, Slowly relies too much on sleepy cliches. ‘A Ghost’ presents one of the album’s most engulfing instrumentals, yet its chorus of “
you look like you’ve seen a ghost” feels underwhelming after other vapid lines such as “
close my eyes and I see you” and “
feels like you’re a million miles away”. Perhaps this problem could have been fixed with some more reverb on the vocals (there’s nothing a little extra reverb can’t cure, in my humble opinion), but as it stands the repeated cliches afford the record a slightly corny aftertaste. Regardless,
Distance’s catchy-yet-gazey qualities make it a perfect listen at any point: background music, foreground music, middleground music. I don’t get why Slowly aren’t bigger.
