by Jade Winings (@jadewinings)
Wisconsin-grown group Slow Pulp introduce deeply sentimental themes of personal reflection and a new sound on their most recent album, Yard. The album is a further evolution of their sound as it brings together synth sounds from prior releases while continuing to lean towards more acoustics, which suits the nostalgic energy of the album’s entirety.
Slow Pulp introduced Yard with the single “Cramps” which is inspired by Emily Massey's (vocals) experience of impactful cramps during practice, and she managed to turn the pain into power. She told Double J, “the song came out of a jam at practice right after I had proclaimed that my period cramps were particularly bad that day. It is about searching for things you wish you had in other people and creating this character in your head that has all the physical and emotional attributes you feel that you are lacking." “Cramps” utilizes the idealized "Heather" reference in the song's descriptions of comparing oneself to others and the intense desire to be socially and spiritually perfect, successfully capturing the power of confidence.
Halfway through the album, listeners are given the tune "Yard,” felt to be an existential-yet-sweet track as it reflects upon the past of being an older sibling and the guilty feelings of possibly not having as much experience with them at home, suddenly years pass and your childhood home is soon to be empty. “Yard” is a reminder to slow down because we can not run from aging and time can slip through our fingers if we try to.
A common theme within Yard depicts the emotional journey of lengthy time spent reflecting on the past, feeling what needs to be felt and continuing to let it go in order to love yourself. Ending track "Fishes" concludes the emotional journey with an optimistic view towards the future and newfound self-love after fighting against each of life’s currents. Vocals full of intent and light guitars ascend listeners through the experience of wanting to feel better as one realizes they are a prize worth cherishing, even if it's only easy to feel that way when you're alone.
Yard is an album containing songs for any taste while still creating an organic cohesive track-to-track flow. Slow Pulp is for everyone and most worthy of diving into as a new or long-term listener and heavily encouraged for fans of bands such as Momma, The Breeders, and Soccer Mommy.