Slow Pulp, "Moveys"
The album I listened to the most in 2021 was “Moveys”, by Slow Pulp. It’s a 2020 album, so that makes me a bit behind the times, and now I’m talking about it in 2022, even further behind, but I trust you’re not reading this for up-to-date cultural criticism so I hope you’ll indulge me.
“Moveys” is a melancholy indie rock/folk affair. The first track, “New Horse”, is gentle, sung mostly over an animated but somber acoustic guitar, until a bass part and some multi-tracked vocals kick in about halfway through. This acoustic/electric/studio touch combination carries through most of the album, without any one element dominating or fading out.
The song I listened to the most off this album (and the most of any song in 2021) is “Trade It”, the second song and still on the quieter side. It’s about unrequited love, and the sadness comes through even before any specific lyrics do, but it’s not just a sad girl singing over a strummed acoustic. Again they do the trick where the bass comes in after the first chorus to kick things up a bit, but that’s not all. When the first pre-chorus arrives some backing vocals do as well, but they’ve been put through a digital filter that makes them sound underwater, an emotional element struggling to be heard. And when the second pre-chorus comes around, not only do drums enter the mix, but also the sort of chintzy electronic effects you’d expect to hear from a Casio keyboard bought at a garage sale in the 90’s, I’m not even sure what to call some of them. There are electronic pan pipes, that sort of thing. It doesn’t sound cheesy though, it just lends some texture, a feeling of someone pouring themselves out using the tools at hand, which, yeah, is sometimes just a cheapo instrument bought secondhand. The song is not desperate, but there is a subdued anguish running through it that these elements all contribute to.
I can’t deny that it’s a melancholy album overall, but it never feels that way to me as I listen to it. But I’ve played it for several people now, and they all say something about how sad it is when it’s over. I think the disconnect is because there is a heart to everything and that’s what I’m responding to; it’s not an uptempo album but neither is it plodding. “At It Again” even approximates an alternative anthem, though I’ll admit what I like the most about that song is the opening vocal line hitting entirely differently than you’d expect. Rather than a bright and cheery ascending phrase that would match the crunchy electric guitars, you get a descending minor-key “Oh come on please don’t take it back”, but what makes it work is how it resolves into a sunny chorus. This album isn’t a mope, it’s just kind of sad, but it’s getting through it, you know?
I had the chance to see Slow Pulp live back in November, and of the 7 or 8 shows I made it to in 2021 it stood out as something really special. First of all, it was sold out and the crowd was very young and excited. At this point I’m used to being among the older quartile of the audience at concerts, but I swear at this one I was one of the 10 oldest people in the whole venue, even given such a high turnout. It felt like I was observing something that was going to be formative for a lot of people. Slow Pulp were supremely confident on stage, completely comfortable and clearly thoughtful about their set. Their most popular song, “High”, is from a previous album, and was deployed expertly in the middle of the set. Live, the songs didn’t have the little studio touches and vocals but the arrangements tilted a little more to the rock side to make up for that loss of energy. Quiet parts were listened to attentively, and louder parts danced along to. They saved their cover of “In Too Deep” for the encore to send everyone off with a goofy energy and a smile. It felt to me like their next show will be at a bigger venue, with an even more devoted crowd. I highly recommend listening now so you can appreciate when that happens.