Edlear’s sound is a comprehensive distillation of all things good in the realm of slowcore. Without relying on (or suffering from) the lofi efforts that sometimes seem to dominate this subgenre, Edlear’s members instead perform precise, sparkling, and still earthy songs that pull from the wealth of past and present slowcore influences. Drawing comparisons to a cleaned up version of Duster, Bedhead, or Unrecovery with the addition of an emphasis on melodic and structural hooks, Edlear’s four-piece lineup consists of Matt Short (guitar and vocals), Jacob Collings (guitar and vocals), KC Keith (bass), and Jake Morse (drums).
With a heaviness at times rivaling their slowcore predecessor Codeine, Edlear fills the vacancy I personally find in the modern evolution of slowcore. Contemporary peers such as Bedlocked (fka Sprawled) and True Widow come to mind in this same vein. But Edlear has a particularly working-man’s quality and approachability. Familiar apparitions from life form the center metaphor of each song; whether it’s losing money gambling in “The Lottery,” or soberly cleaning house in “Dishes.”
A poignant sense of modern drudgery is apparent throughout these two tracks. Also established is a sense of love as a bright spot in a world of loss. This loss is palpable in the lingering final words of the release, at the end of the track “Dishes”:
“I got in my pocket I wanna savor something remember/recalling how I lost it”
The Lottery / Dishes was released September 13th via Flesh & Bone Records and Pleasure Tapes.
Written by Pleasure Tapes
