On “Yard”, Wisconsin-bred, Chicago-based four-piece Slow Pulp nestles comfortably into pockets of nuance, impressions, contradictions – sonics and lyrics finessed together to bottle the specific tension of a feeling you’ve never quite been able to find the right words for.
In that regard, listening to Slow Pulp can feel like being in a room with someone who’s known you so long that they can read your every micro-expression and pinpoint exactly how you’re feeling before you can. Perhaps this spawns from the band’s own shared history and chemistry; in various ways, the four of them grew up – are still growing up – together.
The dreamy songs of the Midwest (United States) indie rock outfit draw on moody shoegaze, hooky grunge, and intimate lo-fi fare. The band made their full- length debut with “Moveys” in 2020. After the downcast 2021 7″ “Deleted Scenes“, they put the focus on hooky grunge pop for singles like 2021’s “In Too Deep” and 2023’s “Cramps”. After their label debut single the band toured throughout Europe and the UK earlier this year as main support for Death Cab For Cutie. The new album “Yard” is their second full-length album and first for ANTI-Records.
After recording their 2019 debut “Moveys” remotely during the pandemic, Slow Pulp opted to do the same on “Yard”, their gauzy, confident, and endlessly comforting sophomore full-length. The album showcases a band capable of switching between loud, intoxicating indie rock songs and soft, quietly affecting ones – what’s remarkable is that they so clearly share the same heart. Grappling with anxious isolation as much as it benefits from collaboration, it finds Emily Massey pushing her vocal limits while continuing to express self-doubt around different facets of her life. “Am I wrong?/ Or is it okay to stay inside and out of love?/ Tell me I’m wrong/ I’m just gonna give it a try and hope that it’s enough,” she sings on ‘Broadview’. All over “Yard”, you can feel the sun burning, and you can feel the love slipping through. Those questions don’t go away, but the feeling is infectious.
Teddy Mathews – Drums, auxiliary percussion, bass, guitar Alex Leeds – Bass, guitar, vocals Emily Massey – Vocals, guitar, bass Henry Stoehr – Guitar, piano, keyboards, bass, auxiliary percussion Sachi DiSerafino – Additional production on ‘Slugs’
The Fat Angel Sings 