Review | Slow Crush - Thirst
Belgium-based heavy shoegazers Slow Crush faced an interesting dilemma after their first two records received both critical and audience acclaim: Where do we go from here? Aurora and Hush released in 2018 and 2021 respectively, and after countless touring and busy schedules, they released Thirst this past August. As bands and artists approach each album, lines are drawn and approaches are more thoroughly considered the longer the identity of a band progresses. Slow Crush knew that they were looking to push themselves deeper creatively, thematically, and with a new shape to their sound that is fully expressed after an attentive listen to the new record.
The music of Thirst speaks for itself thankfully. When I first heard the singles released for the album, I could feel the immediacy of this tone shift, and I was anticipating the full album for months. Vocalist Isa Holliday has also done a handful of interviews talking about their approach to making new music, which includes new members and producer Lewis Johns, tons of new guitar pedals, and new creative choices into unfamiliar territory for the group. While these insights shed light on the sonic exploration of Thirst, I was more interested in the discussion around the album having a perceptible shift from its first half to the second, and crafting the album and the songs to follow. Think about the film Waves and the shift in perspective from the familial characters after the climax, or the rapid buildup and dissolution of Charlie in Flowers for Algernon. While this structure can be seen in art and literature specifically, not every album has strived or achieved this paradigm. This is how I’ll choose to explore Thirst.
Side A - Waxing (“Thirst” - “Hollow”)
Drawing my own interpretation of Thirst, I felt that the phases of the moon can represent the duality of the record well. The first half displays growing intensity and riff-heavy shoegaze, pressing on newer and higher ground like tides advancing along a shoreline. The titular track “Thirst” draws you in with an immediate chorus, followed by budding intensity that flourishes in the verses. Frederik Meeuwis’ feverish drums are a particular highlight on these opening tracks, filling the space that shoegaze drumming often leaves too open and unexplored. I’ve seen some discussion on the saxophone solo that ends “Covet”, but I wanted to add how perfectly brief that sequence was to wind down the track. Moment to moment, the first half of Thirst moves through its phases with profound momentum, aware of making small moments count and fearlessly shifting to the next without hesitation.
The bridge of “Cherry” is a great example of this, holding its intensity like a vice-grip as the main structure of the track washes away. The band syncs up and pummels down emotional hammers, slowly releasing its hold as it builds energy to strike again. After three rogue waves crash amongst the encompassing landscape of the song, the track rises yet again and blurs into noise and disorder until Holliday’s vocals calm the waters. If you’re not slamming your steering wheel when listening to this track like I am, consider yourself lucky.
The first half of Thirst leans into many adjacent genres and collective interests of the band; alternative, post-metal, grunge, you name it. It does it all while still holding the concept of heavy, contrasting shoegaze at its core, but with plenty of room for individual meaning and interpretation. If you read my review of she’s green, you’ll know I’m a fan of the heavy-pretty contrast, and Slow Crush are more than comfortable presenting this in their own light. The intensity draws down a bit on “Leap” and “Hollow”, with the latter pushing the music into its second half. It is here the moon glows at its fullest, before reducing its brightness and vibrancy in the night sky.
Side B - Waning (“Haven” - “Hlýtt”)
“Haven”, to me, is that full moon, and one of the most slowly crushing tracks on the record. While the second half of Thirst is noticeably sparse and lets softer moments occur, the energy is still ubiquitous. “Haven” is a mountain of a track, and the space between each chord is filled to the brim with a brooding, dark ambience. The riffs are still there, but guitarists Ronsmans and Placklé have more room to play with the atmosphere too. It also allows Holliday’s vocals to float in the liminal spaces that make up the back half, where the vocal effects can meet the varying uses of nuanced guitar pedals for a formidable wall of sound. Isn’t that what shoegaze is all about?
As the tides retreat and the moon’s presence diminishes, tracks like “While You Dream Vividly” and “Bloodmoon” further push the sedated feeling of the rest of the album. Most Slow Crush tracks are one word, maybe two, but “While You Dream Vividly” wins the award for longest track title yet at a staggering four words. The titles do evoke a particular feeling within each song, but none are anchored by them, allowing the listener to feed into the music more than the titles or lyrics. In fact, the vocals are sparse throughout all of Thirst, and as the band is so well at executing, it always leaves you wanting more. It is important to give in but not give too much, and Slow Crush finds the perfect medium.
“Ógilt” and “Hlýtt” feel like companion pieces as well, and mark the end of our journey. I could only source rough translations of the song titles, with “Ógilt” referencing invalid or void, and “Hllýtt” meaning an Old Icelandic word for warm. This could draw from the land and ethnicities of the band members, as Belgium is their home base but their cultural histories expand further outward. Nonetheless, “Ógilt” serves as the brief resting phase for a meditative drone track, leading into “Hlýtt” to end the album. “Hlýtt” is the longest track as well, slowly building up to its climax with a mix of clean and harsh vocals to round out the record. Harsh vocals were also briefly teased on “Hollow”, foreshadowing the ending intensity and release.
New Moons
When finishing a record, sometimes it’s best to digest and process it after hearing it in full. Thirst is a full length, 40+ minute release, but the immediacy and velocity of the opening track had me excited to jump back in for another spin. The new moon does mark the end and the beginning of the lunar cycle, so it only makes sense to restart and circle back around. After a few more listens, I realized that the way I felt about those singles is exactly how I felt when I finished all ten tracks. I was thirsty for more.
I think the dualism of this record speaks loudly because it not only reinforces what makes the third album from Slow Crush special amongst their discography, but it possesses a larger representation of what they’ve been aiming for with their music. Contrast, broadly speaking, is a wonderful mix and match of different ideas, styles, and mediums to unravel new layers to any artistic expression. I can even see it in the artwork, whether intentional or not. The left side has an overexposed yellow beam to it, and spanning to the right the harsh colors dive into cooler green and red shades. Who knows what comes next for the band, but I am sure that their fourth album will be another exploration outside of their creative boundaries. For now, it is time to enjoy this one, and if possible, catch the band live when they tour a city near you.
2025 Tour Dates for Slow Crush
