Animal Drowning cover

Animal Drowning

Released

On their second full album, 2022’s Animal Drowning, Philadelphia’s Knifeplay explore one of the veins of shoegaze that seemed lost to history, a stately American variant from the 90s that leaned into arty goth and postpunk, as bands like Bethany Curve and the Autumns showed among others. Lead figure TJ Strohmer’s light, dreamy vocals float above precise constructions from the sextet that burn and build excellently, as songs like “Lonely Sun” and “Untitled” show, while quieter songs such as “Promise” and “Ryan Song” exhibit textured sonic contemplation.

Ned Raggett

Suggestions
“i” cover

“i”

A.R. Kane
Heavy Snow cover

Heavy Snow

Chihei Hatakeyama
Lifeforms cover

Lifeforms

The Future Sound of London
Xuvetyn cover

Xuvetyn

Lovesliescrushing
Afrodisiac cover

Afrodisiac

The Veldt
Back to Life cover

Back to Life

Steve Roach
Images cover

Images

Colin Andrew Sheffield
The Jean-Paul Sartre Experience cover

The Jean-Paul Sartre Experience

The Jean Paul Sartre Experience
The First Day cover

The First Day

David Sylvian, Robert Fripp
Black Tambourine cover

Black Tambourine

Black Tambourine