by Jade Winings (@jadewinings)
After an abundance of anticipation, San Fernando Valley, California's Soft Blue Shimmer - made up of Meredith Ramond (vocals/bass), Kenzo Cardenas (drums), and Charlie Crowley (guitar) - released Love Lives in the Body via Other People Records. Moving on from the prior album, Heaven Inches Away, the latest tracks show audible signs of softer edges than before, flattered by classic shoegaze lyrical structure. Love Lives in the Body is a very honest and relatable album as it portrays the spinning feelings of emotional-awareness, the struggle of self-love, and the concept of bordering on the thin line between optimism and delusion. Reading the lyrics of each track almost feels like flipping through a photo-album of someone else’s memories that we then suddenly feel that we know.
We are introduced to Love Lives in the Body through the opening track, “First Breath Back,” which can be perceived as an expression of experiencing the confusion within finding "the right way" to mentally “handle things” in everyday life, highlighting the unsureness or lack-of-confidence of which path you are to follow and how. Still within the fear of the constantly changing future, the lyrics give us hope of solace in someone who keeps us grounded.
With the track's ambient guitar, “Guayaba” peacefully transitions into a softer state of being. Guayaba is also known as a sweet fruit, giving the song of romance a suitable title. The words are admirably selfless and vulnerable alongside the features of an entrancing vocal style, the type you feel when staring into someone’s eyes. A classic love song is almost a priority for an album, especially for such a personal piece.
The track “Cloudless” is fueled with the fast-paced momentum of the harshness of letting-go. The words provide imagery of tears dropping onto tile. The song expresses feelings of frustration within not knowing exactly when it was you fell apart paired with the distraught of holding an empty space in your heart for someone who changed into what the writer no-longer understands. Even with the pain of letting go of situations that no longer serve you, there is still the want to remember how it was before things became sour.
Love Lives in the Body is tied together with the ending track, “End and Affection”. An immediate rush of sound flows into your ears, tearing at your heartstrings with the reflections of self love. The track expresses seeing the potential room for happiness, you are doing everything to receive it, but even with hope on your side - you can’t seem to obtain the feeling.
Listening to the sounds of Love Lives in the Body altogether somehow duplicates the fizzling sound after the crashing of a wave, promised for listeners to understand after tuning into the album. Touring with bands such as Teenage Wrist, Gleemer, Modern Color, and many other favorites, it is safe to assume Soft Blue Shimmer will not be putting their foot on the break of creativity any time soon. They are a growing band with an exciting hand in expanding towards their followers in Japan and adored fans in general. If you truly want a fantastic listening experience, stream Love Lives in the Body and keep updated on the growth of Soft Blue Shimmer.