GOOD GRIM – HELIUM
Good Grim is the project led by Utah-based musician Trevor Free. Free first emerged with the dream-pop act Sister Adolescent, developing a sound built around hazy synths and post-rock crescendos.
His new track Helium caught my attention with its acoustic, slowcore atmosphere. It is incredibly slow, melancholic, and instrumentally delicate, with what sounds like a lap steel guitar gently floating through the arrangement, accompanied by something resembling a harmonium in the background. The vocals are equally restrained and tender. This is how the first half of the song unfolds, before the track gradually emerges from its lo-fi haze. Drums kick in, the energy picks up, and a distorted guitar enters the picture, working beautifully against the song’s delicate foundations. A gorgeous melody and a gorgeous song.
STRANGE PINK – TOTAL NIGHTMARE
UK alternative/grungegaze outfit Strange Pink return with their evocative new EP Guest Room, capturing the band’s signature blend of hazy dream-pop textures and emotionally charged songwriting. Fronted by Sam Forrest, formerly of Nine Black Alps, the band explores a more introspective and atmospheric sound, with drummer Dom Smith and bassist Eddie Logie rounding out the lineup.
Total Nightmare had me hooked within the first thirty seconds. The transition from the intro and verse into the chorus is absolutely stunning. I love the balanced production and the emotions it brings to the surface. The song takes its time unfolding, maintaining a slightly psychedelic, almost druggy atmosphere throughout, while the choruses are genuinely wonderful: beautiful, energetic, and packed with emotion.
FLEETING COLOURS – CRYSTAL
Fleeting Colours are a new shoegaze band from Montreal, and Crystal comes from their debut EP. At just two and a half minutes, the track wastes no time getting to the point, embracing everything that makes the genre so exciting right now. Great production is essential to this kind of sound, and while the guitars are wonderfully dirty, the overall result has an almost crystalline clarity to it. The same goes for the vocals, which remain remarkably clear amid the layers of noise. I can also hear hints of trip-hop and dream pop woven into the mix, giving the song an additional dimension. A short but highly effective piece of shoegaze that leaves me wanting more.
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