Review Summary: A splash of color
How To Sink Slowly sounds like its artwork might suggest - the music therein retains a certain inherent vibrancy, but the songs always feel a little “blurred”. No matter how beautiful a given moment gets (and it’s frequently “very”), there remains a sort of ambivalence about the proceedings. Mainly, this is just a question of emotion: things teeter on the brink of dizzying elation and subdued melancholy all at once, in a manner that theoretically shouldn’t be possible. Perhaps this shouldn’t be a surprise, as BrokenTeeth have provided us with a textured work which operates in that delicate space bordering post-rock, shoegaze, and slowcore, while managing to incorporate both the warmth and coldness which can be derived from those genre traditions.
Well, the songs: all ten tracks on the record are quite pretty, even if some of them don’t achieve the heights of the highlights. Said highlights, though, are awesome - opener “The Sun Is Setting” is a shimmering journey in its own right, over and done in five minutes, while “walkerrrr…” utilizes a catchy, Americana-esque chord progression to become one of the more instantly-recognizable numbers. Meanwhile, late in the tracklist, “Spring” sprawls to nearly eight minutes and is distinguished by a cascading guitar solo which consumes much of its latter half.
How To Sink Slowly will draw inevitable comparisons to Parannoul’s latest,
After The Magic. Both artists hail from the same country (South Korea) and the same general scene (pick whatever name you’d like to call it). And, indeed, BrokenTeeth’s latest does dip into much of the same sonic influences as Parannoul recently did. The vibes here are a bit different, though.
How To Sink Slowly can be absolutely gorgeous at times, but it never quite aspires to the radiant and ebullient joy which dominates
After The Magic. Instead, this record feels like a more thoughtful and meditative listen. While a few songs don’t quite live up to the high bar set by its best moments,
How To Sink Slowly is a worthwhile listen for those with any interest in the assorted genres BrokenTeeth have delved into here.
