Over the past couple of years, we’ve experienced somewhat of a shoegaze revival, with more acts seemingly taking influence from the dreamy, ethereal guitar sounds of the late 80’s.
The Horrors and The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart both succeeded in opening up this reborn genre (aptly titled ‘nu-gaze’) to the mainstream media, whilst there are few ‘chillwave’ artists who would deny the effect the likes of Ride and My Bloody Valentine have had on their own creative output.
However that’s not to say shoegaze was ever redundant as a genre, just bubbling gorgeously beneath the surface of mainstream recognition. One such band who are now beginning to receive their just desserts are Los Angeles five piece Letting Up Despite Great Faults. Over five years since they announced themselves on the scene with their debut EP Movement, and now with plaudits all over the world and fans at Pitchfork and Rolling Stone, Letting Up Despite Great Faults are readying the release of a new EP, entitled Paper Crush.
The shoegaze and dream pop inspirations are plain to see, with opener Repeating Hearts fitting very nicely into the Pale Saints styled sound. The guitars are soothingly repetitive and the vocals are drenched in hazy reverb. The track to close Paper Crush, the slow burning Aurora is heavily electronically driven and almost entirely instrumental, serves as a timely reminder as to the talent this three piece possess, in particular songwriter Michael Lee. A fitting way to end the release.
Yet as seen with The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Letting Up Despite Great Faults don’t just reinvent a sound; they succeed in embracing and adding to it, with the twee anthem Teenage Tide portraying this sumptuously. A delightfully laid back teenage love song, destined to fill the playlists of starstruck young lovers. It’s on this track that Letting Up Despite Great Faults excel and display the sort of songwriting ability that will elevate them to the realms of their worthy peers.