Glixen Toys With Silence and Nose in Standout EP 'Quiet Pleasures'
Phoenix-based shoegaze outfit Glixen returns with their sophomore EP, Quiet Pleasures. The five-track body of work, a unique and intriguing blend of ethereal melodies and crushing distortion, explores weightless melancholy and immersive noise. Following their breakout with their EP, She Only Said, this dynamic blend delivers an evocative and profoundly textured listening experience. With influences ranging from My Bloody Valentine and Hum to Björk and Godflesh, Glixen pushes shoegaze into modern territory, crafting cavernous and intimately emotional soundscapes.
Quiet Pleasures opens with the track "shut me down," an instrumental overture that sets a haunting tone to intrigue and captivate listeners for what's to come. Guitars blare like sirens over violent percussive bashes before smoothing out without ever calming down. Wiry, whirling guitars intertwine with a hypnotic bassline, building a dreamlike soundscape that feels meditative and restless. This seamless entry into the Glixen universe serves as a prelude to the emotional turbulence to follow.
Next is "avoid," another standout, given its unique integration of sludge rock. This slows the tempo without sacrificing weight and offers a more introspective take on the band's signature blend of shoegaze and noise rock. Strong backing vocals add depth to the track's hazy, reverb-drenched atmosphere, and Ritchie's voice rises like plumes of smoke over smears of feedback. It's a brief but profoundly affecting moment of reflection amidst the EP's more turbulent passages.
The EP closes with "lick the star," an eerily quiet track before erupting into a sonic tempest of feedback and melody. The closer, being purely instrumental, serves as a powerful demonstration of Glixen's talent and evolution. With intricate, thought-out riffs and guitar fills, they effortlessly create atmosphere and evoke mood. The intensity gradually increases, and the listener feels pressure mounting, which creates a sense of claustrophobia until the song finishes on a high note, with all the instruments ringing out. Glixen's ability to toy with silence and noise is on full display here, creating a cathartic and unresolved ending that leaves the listener yearning for more.
With Quiet Pleasures, Glixen solidifies itself as one of the most compelling voices in the modern shoegaze renaissance. Their ability to merge dreamy introspection with an undercurrent of raw, guttural intensity sets them apart from their contemporaries. This EP is not just an evolution but a statement—a declaration that shoegaze, in the hands of Glixen, can be both hauntingly beautiful and powerfully unrelenting.
Listen to Quiet Pleasures below:
