EP Review: Graywave – Dancing in the Dust (Church Road Records)

‘Dancing in the Dust’ is the latest offering from Birmingham’s masters of dark and heavy shoegaze, Graywave. Out May 31st, 2024, via Church Road Records.

Chances are, like me, you have heard most of this EP already, and chances are, like me, you’ve loved everything that has come from it so far.

With each single release, Graywave have shown just how important their style of shoegaze is, and even though most of the EP is familiar, the impact of having all the songs together isn’t diminished. From beginning to end, this is a fantastic release, and from beginning to end, it will make you feel.

With that in mind, it’s fascinating to find Graywave in a heavier and noisier mood with opener Falling Apart. The instrumental section of this track is robust, albeit with a dreamy edge, enhanced by the haunting vocals and darkly tainted melodies. It’s the perfect first showcase of how much heart and soul this band has. Something that is even more effective with the following Blur into One.

An expansive track with earnest melody. The sense of drifting is balanced by weighty instrumental rock heaviness and layered vocals. It’s also one of the more emotionally layered pieces, but it does create a feeling of elation because it is so enjoyable.

While Graywave can be summed up as shoegaze, there’s no shying away from the dreampop elements that exist in the band either. They’re a band who do a fantastic job of capturing the sense of being untethered from your physical form, and Dark Spell is as close to a spiritual experience as you’re going to get in music. It’s one of the highlights of the entire EP. A beautiful piece of music, that comes with a dark vibe, creating just the right amount of discomfort.

Layer upon layer, and with Undone they deliver a trippy listen. Ethereal in tone, but with robust heavy shoegaze that comes in waves. It’s not that it’s ‘catchy’, at least in the conventional sense, but it is infectious. The dreaminess takes hold so quickly, and as the track develops, it’s near impossible to not sink into it.

If you’re not madly in love with Graywave at this stage, they simply might not be for you. Which is baffling really, as even the penultimate track, Cycle comes with so much dark drama it immerses effectively. The poppy melody of this track has a haunting flavour to it, but the rockier elements have a constant sense of threat.

Finally, and to cap off an excellent listening experience, it’s the title track, and one of the more ‘body-swaying’ efforts. It arguably doesn’t get more infectious than this, thanks to the lighter atmosphere of the track, and the vigorous chorus. As lovable as everything that came before. Graywave are a revelation in the UK music scene, and the proof is this EP.

Graywave – Dancing in the Dust Track Listing:

1. Falling Apart
2. Blur Into One
3. Dark Spell
4. Undone
5. Cycle
6. Dancing In the Dust

Links

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