Soft No – Soft No | EP Review
/
Abandon Everything Records
Something is in the water in the City of Brotherly Love that makes everyone want to spend half their paycheck on pedals and play the electric guitar at a tinnitus-inducing volume. The great Philadelphian shoegaze bands of yester-decade like Nothing, Sunny Day in Glasgow, and Blue Smiley have paved the way for a new generation of noisy rock groups like TAGABOW, Knifeplay, Full Body 2, just to name a few. With the release of their self-titled EP, Soft No are planting their seeds in the fertile soil of the city’s scene.
As it becomes increasingly difficult for bands to afford rent on a DIY paycheck in NYC, Boston, and other relatively HCOL cities, Philly's combo of local talent and affordability has allowed its burgeoning scene to draw national attention. But even with all of this momentum behind the genre, newcomers like Soft No are entering a crowded lane, as these sonic templates are extremely popular in both local scenes and across the internet on platforms like Tik-Tok. Events such as Philly’s recent Slide Away Festival are laying the groundwork for people to recognize and celebrate sonic diversity within the genre, but it’s still a challenge to stand out.
This context informed my headspace as I went into Soft No’s debut EP: do I really need more Philly shoegaze in my life, and how will they differentiate themselves as this space borders on oversaturation? After several listens, my answer is two-fold. For one, they’re exploring a darker, riffier sound that harkens back to 90s alt classics. Their press material mentions Smashing Pumpkins and Hum, but I also hear some of the melodic abrasiveness of Hole. Unlike other bands that lean into a sort of generic hazy heaviness, these guitar parts WILL get stuck in your head.
The other differentiator is experience. Each of Soft No’s five band members have spent years in the scene, as has contributor and producer/engineer Mark Watter, whose eye-popping CV includes the latest records from Philly legends Alex G and Hop Along. The result of their combined musical tenure is a collection of tracks that sounds dynamic and polished. In many ways, this release doesn’t sound DIY, and it certainly doesn’t sound like a band figuring out their sound for the first time.
Album opener “Keeping Tabs” kicks things off with one of the best songs in the collection. It’s probably the most straightforward shoegaze song of the bunch, but it’s a damn good cut with beautiful, piercing vocals and textured guitars. The 90s alt-rock and hardcore influences are most obvious on the lead single “Take Your Word,” which has the stickiest chorus of the bunch and the most legitimate alt-radio potential. And when I talk about the guitar parts getting wedged in your brain, I’m talking about the riff on “Melting Timelines” - my personal favorite Soft No track.
All five songs wear the hallmark shoegaze distortion, but in contrast to an MBV or bands of that ilk, the vocals are relatively clear and articulate. The drums don’t buckle under the weight of the mix; instead, they’re a driving force for this project that gives the whole thing a sense of momentum. By the time I reached the end of the last track, I felt like I was still flying forward. There are a lot of excellent debut EPs that still leave me wondering if they can keep this up for a full-length project; Soft No’s propulsive energy suggests they might just be getting warmed up.
Parker White is a tech salesperson moonlighting as a music writer. When not attending local shows in Atlanta or digging for new tunes, he’s hosting movie nights, hiking/running, or hanging out with his beloved cat, Reba McEntire. You can find him on Twitter and Instagram @parkerdoubleyoo, and you can read other stuff he’s written over on his Substack.
