‘Somersaults’ marks a turning point for deathcrash. Where the band’s past work, ‘Return’ (2022) and ‘Less’ (2023) for untitled (recs) was defined by the hypnotic, slow-motion tension of modern slowcore, their third studio album introduces an unexpected warmth, a sense of optimism that doesn’t dilute their trademark melancholy but gives it new dimension. This is music that feels simultaneously suspended and alive, as if the world has slowed down just enough for you to notice both its fragility and its quiet beauty.
Part of this evolution comes from the band’s recent experiences touring with the Jesus and Mary Chain. Performing to audiences far larger than before, they discovered a freedom in relinquishing control over how their music was received. They stopped acting as tour guides for their own emotions, no longer scanning the room for validation. The result is a sound that feels unburdened: fragile without pleading, intense without explosion. It’s an uncommon confidence, one that allows their signature slow-motion melancholy to coexist with, rather than suppress, joy.
Recorded over four sun-drenched days at Black Box studio in the Loire Valley, Somersaults carries the subtle imprint of its surroundings. There’s an intimate sense of place in the music, sunlight through windows, the inviting comfort of wine and baguettes, which translates into a warmth rarely heard in slowcore. Tracks unfold with spaciousness and patience, their textures blurring at the edges yet grounded in a surprising playfulness. Even amid existential rumination, the album hums with life, a quiet celebration of being present in the moment.
The album’s title, ‘Somersaults,’ captures its emotional gymnastics. Songs tumble over themselves, balancing anxiety and exhilaration, tension and release. The band’s usual attention to texture, the feedback-laden guitars, the languid rhythms, the hazy vocal layers, is still there, but it’s infused with subtle lift. Optimism here is not naïve; it’s deliberate, earned through experience, and integrated into the music’s DNA. It’s the feeling of finally allowing yourself to enjoy the world without abandoning thought or depth.
‘Somersaults’ is deathcrash at their most liberated. The album doesn’t shout, and it doesn’t need to. Its quiet expansiveness invites immersion, offering the rare pleasure of music that’s both reflective and life-affirming. Where their earlier records felt like careful navigation of a fragile emotional landscape, this one feels like running through it, eyes open, fully aware of both risk and reward. For slowcore, and for deathcrash, it’s a subtle but profound leap forward.
Learn more by visiting: Bandcamp | untitled | Instagram | Facebook
