The third LP from the South London group, Somersaults lands at a time where slowcore as a concept is becoming increasingly at odds with our ever-hectic world. Now, yes, this is a genre that always been niche. But with the world becoming increasingly chaotic and obnoxious, there’s no surprise that both the popular and alternative music landscape has come to mirror it. The demand for equally loud and confrontational music is rising exceptionally, and the slow, minimalist and withdrawn stylings of slowcore can’t keep up with popular culture.
All of this leaves Deathcrash in a bit of a tricky spot. The band have essentially become the de-facto ambassadors of the UK scene following on from tours with the likes of Have A Nice Life and Jesus and Mary Chain last year. It’s a spot which they’re no doubt thankful for, but one they probably didn’t ask for. After all, the band’s quiet and fatalist ruminations on death aren’t ones that seem to strive for notoriety. So, the question has to be asked; how do Deathcrash re-approach a genre that’s essentially no longer compatible with our sociocultural climate? The answer is easy; they remodel it for the future.
A record that sounds intentional but feels organic, here, Deathcrash reimagine the slowcore formula by breaking the rules they’ve set for themselves. The inherent bleakness of their sound has been metered by moments of quiet joy. Motifs from other genres, such as indie and emo, have been embraced. And perhaps the most cardinal sin of them all has been committed – vocals have been lifted from the depths of the mix and now take centre stage. Genre purists may gasp at such transgressions, but Somersaults shows how such experimentation can work without corrupting the mood, ethos and crux of the genre at hand. And most of all, this record is an utter joy to hear.
The opening title track leads into this new approach with all the vulnerability you would expect from Deathcrash, but it’s the subsequent ‘NYC’ that truly demonstrates what this record is about. Bound by emo sentiment and a kind of indie delivery that’s comparable to the likes of Interpol and far removed from anything that belongs in landfill, this track takes form as what can only be described as a massive singalong. Its encompassing riff and very nature of a track destined to lead a choir of singing fans in a live setting may be at odds with what is to be expected from a band of this nature, but as similar tracks such as ‘Triumph’, ‘The Thing You Did’ and ‘Stay Forever’ show, the essence of this band remains unchanged. This is Deathcrash as fans know them, albeit in a new form that only amplifies their core characteristics.
Of course though, this isn’t a record that bellows the band’s newfound confidence with experimentation from the rooftops. Rather, it’s the songs here that are more musically in line with Deathcrash’s previous work that show them in a new light. ‘CMC’ breathes an air of quiet happiness that’s at odds with the band’s previous fatalism in thanks to its slow unfurling and subtle post-rock motifs. The orthodox slowcore of ‘Bella’ is more cosy than anxious. And the choral ‘Marie’s Last Dance’ is a song that is aware and accepting of its inherent bleakness. All of this highlights a band who have accepted the discomfort that has once bound them them and now embrace it rather than fight it.
But despite all of this, the vulnerability, wistfulness and ache that defines Deathcrash as a unit remains. Somersaults is a record that feels weighty with sentiment and is a release that just doesn’t express feelings of pining and yearning as much as it instills them. But it’s these moments of whispered happiness and quiet understanding that dilute the pain and speaks of a band who have found the confidence to alter the dated blueprint of a genre that has bound them for two records. Will Somersaults change the future of slowcore as a genre as whole? Perhaps not, but it will certainly ensure Deathcrash remain relevant and is a great listen.