Raw Blue

There’s just something magical about shoegaze. The way it wraps you up in this warm, fuzzy blanket of sound and completely takes your mind somewhere else. And where it takes you? That depends—every project hits differently depending on the emotions buried under all that noise. Every time I listen to a shoegaze album like this, I’m reminded that I really need to dive deeper into this genre. It’s such a vibe.

I’ve been waiting for Raw Blue to drop on streaming, but I caved and found the whole thing on YouTube, so it’s all good. And wow, this album is fantastic. I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed, but nothing else on the album quite hits the same as that opening title track—it’s honestly incredible. The riffs, the production, the atmosphere, the way they play with dynamics—it’s all so effortless. That said, there’s still plenty of gold in the rest of the album.

“Swing Me” is just a perfect fuzzy anthem. The pacing is on point, and the overall vibe? Super satisfying.

“Walk Through Space” doubles down on their knack for dynamics, and the outro is unreal—it’s calming but also kind of eerie in the best way. The way it slides right into “Enjoy Everything” is seamless.

Speaking of “Enjoy Everything,” wow. This track is something else. It’s haunting and hypnotic, and the vocals pull you in like a trance. Then the brass comes in, and it’s game over—it takes the whole track to another level, adding this hazy, blissed-out feel.

It sucks that this album came out so late in the year because I feel like it’s going to fly under the radar, but man, it’s a gem. If this band can keep writing tracks as powerful as that opener, they’re gonna be putting out album-of-the-year contenders before long. Guess I should probably check out their older stuff now

WHIRR - RAW BLUE

RATING - 7.9/10

FAVORITE TRACKS - Swing Me, Enjoy Everything

GENRE - Shoegaze, Rock