Drawing instant comparisons to 90s royalty such as Hum and Sonic Youth, ‘Gushing Interest’ is the latest release from Philadelphia’s Timelost. Five tracks (and a cover), it’s more of an EP than it is an album proper – though when faced with the sheer weight and claustrophobia of the tracks within, this is perhaps no bad thing.
Driving, towering walls of noise provide much of the appeal, bringing to mind more contemporary acts such as Nothing or Whirr. Indeed, much like these bands, Timelost occupy the heavier end of the shoegaze spectrum, eschewing the heady transience of bands like Slowdive in favour of something, darker, weightier, and altogether more uncompromising.
Opening with lead single ‘Better Than Bedbugs’, Timelost ironically waste little time establishing their self-styled ‘grunge-gaze’ aesthetic. Woozy and riff-heavy, the emphasis here errs more on the side of grunge than much of the record, and as such brings to mind UK acts such as Allusondrugs or Forever Cult.
Elsewhere, things feel a little less transatlantic. ‘Deep End of the Cut’ is a six minute slow burner, unfurling steadily throughout its first half before exploding with vitriolic catharsis. ‘Alone, Clean and Slow’ feels more structured, less amorphous than other tracks on offer; a driving bottom end backbones the track entirely while guitars and vocal soar above, building to yet another cathartic conclusion.
This exploration of dynamics is something that features heavily across the course of ‘Gushing Interest’, and though a staple for most shoegaze bands, Timelost succeed in striking a deft balance between cloying claustrophobia (‘Your Ghost Will Be Happy’), and a sense of paradoxical soaring optimism (‘T.K.O’).
It’s rare that such a balance can be struck so effortlessly, and as such ‘Gushing Interest’ manages to stand out amongst its contemporaries – thanks, in part, to its relatively brief run time, but also thanks to its ability to feel both brutally cathartic and utterly optimistic. A strong second offering from the Philadelphia band.
DAVE BEECH