The gauzy pedal mashers Slow Crush come from the quaint little Belgian city of Leuven, and they started been making heavy shoegaze long before heavy shoegaze became a cool thing. Slow Crush impressed us with their 2018 debut album Aurora. Since then, they've released the 2021 follow-up Hush and signed with Pure Noise, and now they're getting ready to tour North America and to release Thirst, their third album.
When Slow Crush joined the Pure Noise roster a few months ago, they celebrated by dropping their single "Cherry." That's on Thirst, which the band recorded with Svalbard/Rolo Tomassi producer Lewis Johns. So is the brand-new title track. Both songs are full of vast, stormy guitar crescendos, but they're way prettier than the stuff that most of Slow Crush's heavy shoegaze peers make. Frontwoman Isa Holliday's vocals come in waves, just like all the guitar sounds. She says that the album is about "the romance of being with a loved one," which is nice. Here's what the band says about the album-opening title track:
"Thirst" is about an unquenchable desire for what’s next, with focus on essence and balance, not losing yourself in the ever-growing distractions that surround us. A yearning pulse for renewal, "Thirst" ripples with a craving for something pure, something vital. It churns with an unrelenting drive, building an electrifying momentum that surges forward and breaks through, offering both release and rebirth.
You're not supposed to review your own song in the press release! Maybe the rules are different in Belgium. Below, check out "Thirst" and "Cherry," as well as the album tracklist and Slow Crush's upcoming tour dates.
TRACKLIST:
01 "Thirst"
02 "Covet"
03 "Cherry"
04 "Leap"
05 "Hollow"
06 "Haven"
07 "While You Dream Vividly"
08 "Bloodmoon"
09 "Ógilt"
10 "Hlýtt"
TOUR DATES:
5/17 - Breda, Netherlands @ Ik Zie U Fraag
5/23 - Den Haag, Netherlands @ Sniester Festival
5/24 - Ostfildern, Germany @ Eastfilly Fest
5/30 - Gent, Belgium @ Dunk Fest
6/21 - Kortrijk, Belgium @ Blender Fest
6/27 - Viveiro, Spain @ Resurrection Fest
7/05 - Berlin, Germany @ Breakout Festival
8/07 - Okruzni, Czech Republic @ Brutal Assault
8/08 - Waldmunchen, Germany @ Void Fest
9/04 - Allentown, PA @ Arrow
9/05 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry
9/06 - Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
9/07 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
9/09 - Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz
9/10 - Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground
9/11 - Detroit, MI @ El Club
9/12 - Chicago, IL @ Reggie's
9/13 - Indianapolis, IN @ HiFi
9/14 - St. Louis, MO @ Duck Room
9/16 - Fort Worth, TX @ Tulips
9/17 - Austin, TX @ Radio/East
9/19 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
9/20 - Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
9/21 - Oakland, CA @ Crybaby
9/23 - Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
9/24 - Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
9/26 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
9/27 - Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre
9/29 - Kansas City, MO @ RecordBar
10/01 - Nashville, TN @ The '58
10/02 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
10/03 - Durham, NC @ The Fruit
10/04 - Richmond, VA @ The Broadberry
10/05 - Washington, DC @ Union Stage
Thirst is out 8/1 on Pure Noise.
