Photo Credit: Vincent Guglielmo
Following the broad cultural nostalgia for all things 90s, it isn’t surprising that grungy, showgazy alt-rock is making a comeback. Indeed, contemporary hardcore bands are diving into their parents’ record collections, and are increasingly influenced by the likes of Deftones, Nirvana and My Bloody Valentine, creating a new and budding scene.
One of the earliest pioneers of this niche is Superheaven. Reuniting after a six-year hiatus in 2022, they’re releasing their first full-length in a decade – Superheaven.
The record opens with Humans For Toys – a mix of swirling, ethereal lead guitar, juxtaposed against crunchy, grungy power-chords. The lyrics are somewhat grim, referencing humanity’s general indifference to the fleetingness of its own existence. Conversely, the music soars in a deceptively upbeat manner.
After such existential questions, Numb to What is Real is much more introspective. It sounds like a classic Superheaven track: wistful yet edgy, soft yet crunchy. If you had to describe grungegaze in a song, this would be that song. It’s clear that the band are exploring new topics through the lens of their old sound.
Lead single Cruel Times marks a subdued comeback for the band after a prolonged hiatus. The guitars are echoey in that stereotypical Superheaven style, and the lyrics hint at failure and regret. It feels very much like testing the water before diving back in.
Conversely, Sounds of Goodbye is an example of what Superheaven does best: making heavy, angsty 90’s-tinged alt-rock. Calling it ‘alt-rock’ feels like saying it’s generic, which is far from the case. ‘Alt’ is the only possible way to describe their sound, especially on this track.
The album’s second single, Long Gone, serves as a more accurate representation of the album’s overall sound: broody, angry grungegaze that proudly showcases its 90’s influences. The lyrics and guitar work are relatively straightforward on this track, allowing Joe Kane‘s bass and Zack Robbins‘ drumming to shine and carry the song with excellence. This highlights the band’s ability to transcend individual contributions, coming together as a collective to create a truly massive sound.
Contrasting nicely, Hot Head brings the band’s punk-rock influences to the forefront with minimal guitar effects and maximum speed. This short yet impactful track ensures that they’ll keep one foot in the pop-punk and hardcore worlds.
Switching things up again, Conflicted Mood is slower, quieter and more melancholic and introverted. It’s almost reminiscent of The Cure’s latest material – sparse and bleak. It’s also the closest that Jake Clarke’s singing gets to pure shoegaze. It’s experimental, something a bit different, and it totally works.
Stare at the Void keeps things on the slow side, but ups the grungy distortion, and turns down the ethereal effects on the vocals. Clarke and Taylor Madison hold back the delay and reverb on their guitars here, for something much more stripped-back and raw. Ultimately this fits perfectly – it is very evocative of staring into a void. Simple, but extremely effective songwriting.
Following this, Next Time is a lighter and ultimately forgettable track. Not bad by any means, but it lacks the defining bite or emotion that makes other moments on the record linger. If nu-gaze has a template, this track follows it closely – lush, shimmering, but ultimately without a lasting imprint.
Appropriately, The Curtain is the album’s curtain call. Layered within a thick blanket of distorted rhythm guitar and delayed lead, this is, fittingly, a mellow-ish, melancholic-sounding track. Again, the themes of introversion and angst are explored, but positive lyrics about making a change suggest that this won’t be a one-and-done return for Superheaven.
Overall, this is an excellent Superheaven album – one that stands alongside Jar as some of their strongest work. While it doesn’t stray far from their established nu-gaze/grungegaze formula, it still delivers a few surprises. It may not be the album that pulls in new fans to the genre, but longtime listeners will find plenty to love, and it’s likely to sway anyone within the scene who’s been on the fence.
7/10
Standout Tracks: Numb to What is Real, Long Gone, Stare at the Void
For Fans Of: Julie, Narrow Head, Fleshwater
Written by: Tom Forrester
