ALBUM REVIEW: Sonic – Glazyhaze

Could there be a more auto-descriptive band name than GLAZYHAZE? The four-piece, hailing from Venice, Italy, are keen proponents of the 90s shoegaze sound and its post-punk forebears of the previous decade. Their songs bear all the hallmarks of the genre – grand washes of reverb, a bright but blurry kaleidoscope of sound that enwraps the listener in its dream pop energy. Their sophomore album, Sonic, builds on the momentum of their 2023 debut, Just Fade Away, and a first run of shows in the UK last autumn.

Sonic is thematically split into two halves, in what is becoming a trend for shoegaze-inspired albums (see also: last year’s CULTDREAMS album). Its first half is bright, energetic, and catchy. It’s exemplified by the opener and first single What A Feeling – a rush of high-tempo drums wrapped in layers of rich but distinct guitars. What would otherwise be a straightforward pacy rock song is elevated by the soft power of vocalist Irene Moretuzzo‘s vocals and journeying guitar lead lines. Its second half holds a more patient, introspective energy: all minor chords, dissonance and a little more experimentation.

GLAZYHAZE have undoubtedly done their homework on the classic shoegaze elements. The main riff of Breath leans on the glide guitar effect popularised by MY BLOODY VALENTINE‘s Kevin Shields, a delightful surging effect from the vibrato arm. Moretuzzo‘s vocals dominate the album – a soft presence of ethereal fragility, calling to mind Rachel Goswell from SLOWDIVE, capable of both searing clarity and mesmerising texture. Both those bands employ dual male/female vocals, as do GLAZYHAZE through bassist Seva Prokhorov. He adds a laconic, deeper register to the verse of Breath, a welcome tonal contrast.

The lighter first half yields the album’s other two singles and catchiest moments. Forgive Me first cuts the drums and tempo of the first two tracks, foregrounding wandering vocals and glide guitar, before breaking into a beautiful chiming melody backed by walls of gauzy guitars. Its pacing is immaculate, alternating between the sparse solo breaks of Moretuzzo and the enrapturing wonder of the full band. Follow-up Nirvana leans on the chorus guitar effect and a drum machine, Prokhorov taking the vocal lead for a deeper texture. It proves a delightful contrast to the chorus, which opens up into real drums, emotive chords, lush rhythm guitar and lighter female vocal tones. There are shades of THE CRANBERRIES in the simple but effective melodies and dream pop tones.

The darker half of Sonic opens with the title track, whose saturated drum and bass and crystalline guitars are the album’s strongest echo of SLOWDIVE. Minor chords abound, the lyrical brightness and simplicity of the first half substituted for something more contemplative. Stardust then veers hard into harmonically oddball territory – a welcome spike of salt into the otherwise saccharine shoegaze sound. The later songs also hold plenty of early post-punk influence. Slap‘s layered vocal effects and electronic textures echo those of COCTEAU TWINS; the bass riff and thumping drums of Not Tonight are straight out of the JOY DIVISION playbook. Warmth closes the album with a hit of evocative nostalgia, a vocal- & guitar-only affair risen to full evocative nostalgia through its spacious production.

For fans of shoegaze and dream pop, GLAZYHAZE have produced an album well-versed in the genre’s history and tropes. Its two halves are less of a hard split than a continuum of a rich wash of sound. Whilst its homages are clear and well-executed, it does come at the cost of Sonic having its own voice, and it falls short on memorable melodies and hooks or a showstopping moment. But it remains a worthy entry in the genre, perfectly tailored to soundtrack the introspection and nostalgia of late summer twilight.

Rating: 7/10

Sonic is is out now via self-release.

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