Softcult have an ethereal yet brilliant touch of music magic out now. The title is labelled Heaven as it truly is an unusual place to be. Heaven is THE psychedelic, gloomy, soundscape to elevate an eclectic summer vibe. The band say describing Heaven’s reverberation “This EP has an underlying theme, although the songs themselves may seem eclectic and wide-ranging. We wanted to write about the contradictions within our society, what an ideal world looks like, and how close or far we are from achieving that reality”. That should definitely wrap you in.
There is nothing really negative to say about Heaven. It has a very extraordinary spacey sound that is perfect for a ‘Blongle Glonky’ (I’ll let you google what that means on urban dictionary). Generally, I really like this EP and, in my opinion, knocks previous projects such as the ‘See You In The Dark EP’ out of the park.
But now moving on from ‘See You In The Dark’, I love each track in the EP, I believe each song stands out on their own but the one that really grabs my ears is “9 Circles”. It brought me back to another time in my music library. The band ‘Honey spider’ I think would make a great matchup with Softcult. I can really connect with Heaven; I am definitely buying this when it comes out. Neo-grunge releases are exactly what music needs at the moment.
Heaven is more unfiltered than at first glance, the lyricism is philosophically charged and has the cutting-edge guitar fills that maybe bands within witch-rock or shoegaze, are not doing. I am gobsmacked to the max.
The EP is an intense and dark buildup to the title track (surprise, surprise) called Heaven, that is filled with a multitude of themes that deserve more attention. Softcult starts discussions about a variety of topics on Heaven, including corporate greed, violence, gender equality, climate change and self-harm. Carving out a political mania that music has missed, filling a void that just hasn’t been about.
We are left in a condition of suspension; the music has created last notes that linger and fade into thin air. Every tune and chord sequence seems to be like a brushstroke on the canvas of our minds, depicting sublime beauty and moving contemplation. There’s a gentle reminder that some events, like this album, are meant to be felt rather than heard, like whispered secrets from another realm that ricochet long after the song fades out.
Softcult: Heaven – Out 24th May 2024 (Easy Life)
Softcult – One Of The Pack [official video] (youtube.com)
