by Jeremy Winslow (@_pbnjer)
If distortion is a key part of the slacker rock genre, as popularized by well-known outfits like Pavement and Weezer and the like, then the Chicago-based fuzz-pop band Sorespot plays right into the mold. Blending subtle vocal melodies with droning guitar static, and upping the songwriting by creating wholly-complete though still intoxicatingly-short ballads, the band’s latest full-length LP Gifts of Consciousness displays Sorespot’s growth and illuminates the potential for the four-piece to become a mantel in the hallowed walls of indie rock.
Much like the band’s first record, 2016’s Sewerage, just about every track on Gifts of Consciousness begins with piercing feedback, like the band is crammed into a small closet and the guitarists forgot to plug into the amplifiers. This noise, however overbearing at first blemish, is a vital component to Sorespot’s sound, creating the space for the band to establish a mood with static alone. Take the forty second song “Hot Air,” a track so overtaken by feedback that the lyrics and syncopation are damn-near indiscernible in the cacophony. What may sound like chaos actually belies a dreaminess often employed by shoegaze behemoths like My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive.
Buried underneath all of that reverb and feedback is a carefully constructed pop sensibility. Gifts of Consciousness, despite the record’s thick “slacker” coat—exacerbated by Sorespot’s lackadaisical singing, simple yet catchy drum patterns, and droning guitars—shines brightest when the noise takes a backseat. Songs like “Not Invited,” “Potential For Growth,” and “Speakers Don’t Blow” show the band speeding up the tempo and bringing the vocals closer to the front of the mix. This change in production and songwriting for some of Gifts of Consciousness’ fifteen tracks, all of which were recorded at home between 2017 and 2019 solely by the band, highlights the breadth of Sorespot’s creativity within the slacker rock genre, which can often be seen as mindless or samey.
It’s easy to assume that anything associated with "slacker" has a negative connotation, evoking the image of freeloaders and do-nothings who are bored at home with too much time on their hands. While Sewerage did sound as if the band just plugged some instruments in and started strumming around to see what stuck while bored at home, Gifts of Consciousness sees Sorespot putting some real effort in across the board. From the production that cleans up the noise to give notes room to breathe to the vocals that come through the final mix clearer, Gifts of Consciousness is Sorespot at its fuzziest, dreamiest, and poppiest. The band’s sound proves that there’s some charm behind the slacker.