Lucid Express - "Faux Sweetness"

Photo by Aileen Lam
Lucid Express are quickly becoming one of our favorite bands with a classic shoegaze sound. The Hong Kong band just released a new single, "Faux Sweetness." The new song has all of the fuzz and warmth we want with classic shoegaze, even though it leans into the poppier side of the genre. Despite how we music writers tend to feel about saying something is poppy, in the case of "Faux Sweetness" it's an asset. It only helps make the song even more lovely, and it's only poppy in the way a band like My Bloody Valentine had some songs that were poppy. If you love shoegaze and would like to see the classic version moved into the modern era, Lucid Express are going to be a godsend for you.
Vocalist Kim Ho says of the new single:
"on 'Faux Sweetness' we return to some of our earliest indie pop influences while also mixing in some of the darker sounds we've picked up over years of experimenting in our studio space. It kind of led us to make something that is both heavier and more delicate than anything we'd written up to that point."
You can listen to "Faux Sweetness" below. Instant Comfort is due out February 20 on Kanine Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp. For more on Lucid Express, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook. Upcoming tour dates are below the song.
3/7: New York, NY - New Colossus
3/14-3/16: Austin, TX - SXSW
3/20: Toronto, ON - Wavelength Festival