I’ve been following Soft No for a while – the Philly band’s sound is well-developed. They call it ‘space rock’ on their Instagram; it’s dense, propulsive shoegaze, and it sounds like they’ve been doing this exact thing for a while. It’s difficult to believe that this is their debut EP.

Debut single “Take Your Word” was released back in May, and it’s a strong one. It sets the tone for the whole record — thick, loud guitars, vocals that switch from soft and subdued to strong and fierce, and the hardest-working drummer I’ve heard in a while. Their sound is somewhere between shoegaze and grunge, melodic and distinct enough to stand apart from others in the genre.

My favourite track on the record is the second single (and first music video), “Melting Timelines”:

This article in New Noise magazine is the only piece about the band I could find, and it gives some good background:

Philadelphia-based shoegaze act Soft No are made up of life-long friends Scott Signorino, Allie Lannutti, Austin Lotz, Jon Martello, and Kate Lowe. Not only have they known each other since childhood, they have a long history of playing together in bands as well. Started in February 2023 as a collaboration between Signorino and Lotz, the band grew to a five-piece that incorporates all of its members’ stories.

The art for the releases so far is excellent, too. I think it’s done by Kate Lowe, the keyboard player for the band. I wonder if the clown fixation is hers or if it comes from someone else in the band? I hate clowns, but I love this record.

The record is out on Philadelphia-based Abandon Everything Records, which is home to blog faves Taraneh and Wax Jaw. That’s some good company, even if I know nothing else about the label (yet).

You can buy LPs and merch on their Bandcamp. Sounds like they’re going to be touring in the fall — I hope there’s a stop in Toronto.

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