Narrow Birth

Glowing, expansive, sometimes gloomy shoegaze with strong ties to post-punk. Another promising set of shoegazers from Texas, and what an amazing first album! One of my favorites of the year.

RIYL Drinking Flowers, Soft Kill, Drab Majesty, Dais/Sacred Bones, '80s 4AD
Favorites: 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8
No FCCs

1. (4:18) Intro—Dazed vocal chant in first minute, post-punk bass line, aqueously shifting and churning guitars.
2. (5:17) **** Evan Evan—Driving, relentless shoegaze distorted through an all-consuming darkwave filter. Chaotic, liberating instrumental finish barely held together by the bass. Incredible!!!
3. (6:23) *** In a Day—Bright soprano vocals layered beneath washes of glowing, meditative noise. All instrumental in last three minutes.
4. (3:14) Pas de Deux—Like a synthier THEESatisfaction.
5. (3:36) *** Lonesome Waste—Bladerunner! Uplifting shoegaze, strong female vox, cute.
6. (3:36) ** Diana—Panoramic, wide-angle shoegaze. Really satisfying crunchy guitars in the last minute and a half.
7. (5:20) ** The Avenue—Dreamy cosmic Living Hour feel, drum machine, steady ascension, just sublime.
8. (3:52) ** Feral Bloom—Dense. Galactic synths and weird outer space vocals. Spectacular, propulsive drumming change at 2:09.
9. (3:50) Judy Garland is Dead—Drum machine, field recordings of hospital sounds, spoken word, suffering.
10. (3:16) Mimi’s Magnolia—Quirky sense of gloom, Southern Ontario Gothic sonified.