ALBUM REVIEW: Hush – Slow Crush

Despite the violence implied by their name, Belgian outfit SLOW CRUSH are often anything but. Their debut Aurora showcased a knack for turbulence tempered by graceful moments, and their second album, Hush, looks to build on such a promising foundation and continue to evolve their sound. Written between tours and finalised during the lockdowns of 2020-1, it’s the sound of a band expanding their sonic palette without straying too far from the path they set themselves on with Aurora. 

Opener Drown is serene, evoking feelings of floating in water, Isa Holliday’s dreamlike vocals hiding the struggle just under the surface. That comes to the fore with Blue, its dissonant, lurching opening resonant with emotional turmoil. It straddles the line between gloomy and hopeful, though true to its name settles more in the former camp even in its more serene closing that feels somewhat unsettled. Swoon descends into more nightmarish depths, its faster pace and punchier percussion underscore seesawing guitars. There’s an altogether more distressing atmosphere, one borne of panic and distress. Similarly, Swivel features heavier, noise-flecked tones and pivots carefully into Rêve.

There’s an ever-present feeling of calmness on Hush – even in the harsher moments, SLOW CRUSH retain an air of tranquillity. The aforementioned Swivel shows them living up to their namesake the most, along with Blue, and the album collapses into dissonance once more as it ends with Bent And Broken. The title track wields serenity and yearning as two sides of the same coin, Holliday’s vocal melodies carrying a sense of peace while guitars shift between moods. While often understated, the rhythm section of her bass lines and Steven Cammaerts’ drumming form a powerful backbone that anchors the otherwise swirling, mesmerising guitars.

Hush is in every way a step up from the already-excellent Aurora; its shimmering melodies are counterpointed by elements of noise and hardcore slotted seamlessly together. They’re the epitome of shoegaze, and that’s certainly no bad thing as they take the best elements and add in parts all their own. Driven by emotion, romanticism and escapism, Hush is a captivating listen from start to finish and sees SLOW CRUSH deservedly take their place as one of the finest bands the genre has to offer.

Rating: 8/10

Hush is set for release on October 22nd via Church Road Records. 

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