If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Clay Lyon Female Gaze is back with a new single that defies what I had expected from the band. Back in 2024, I had referred to their single as "psychedelia meets shoegaze," but "bury you" doesn't have that same sound. Ok, sure... it's not a complete change of sound, and there are still plenty of psychedelic and shoegaze elements in the song, but this latest single has more of a pop driven sound. By pop, I don't mean modern Top 40 or even indie pop. This is more of a 60's girl group vibe, but through a indie rock, lo-fi prism. It's kind of like a DIY version of Psychocandy , with more raw elements and without the extreme wall of noise. Welcome back, Female Gaze! We can't wait to hear more. Frontwoman Nelene DeGuzman says the band's upcoming album is  “...a meditation on my thoughts and feelings around navigating labor, delivery, and the prospect of mothering while the world is on fire.” You can listen to "bury you" below...

Usually I wait for the vocals to kick in before deciding I love a song, but I fell in love with "Severance" from Female Gaze about twenty seconds before Nelene DeGuzman's vocals started. The song starts off with this killer bass line, and then at roughly the seventeen second mark the guitar kicks in, and I was completely won over. The song has this gorgeous blend of psychedelia meets shoegaze that is irresistible. I know I would have balked at "trippy shoegaze," but Female Gaze make it work. All of "Severance" has this warm quality that just draws you in, and you just never want this sound to end. With it's six minute length, there are plenty of times it feels like it's just about to end, and then it just keeps going, and going, and each time you become more and more invested in its beauty. You can listen to "Severance" below. Tender Futures is due out May 17 on Fort Lowell Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Fe...