New Music: Slugfeast – Detective

Cherub Dream Records is one of the best boutique record labels there is, so when they introduce you to a band like Slugfeast, you know you’re on to something good.

Detective doesn’t keep to any one defined genre, shifting tones and tempo to leave the listener in a very different place – sonically and emotionally – at the end of the song than at the personal tones of the intro.

The vocals of Claire Tauber have a wounded air to them, reminding me of the quiet pain of Ethel Cain, and at times the band revels in that sound. The increasing role of noise/grunge always keeps melody and humanness at its core, so that even if the song’s finale may leave you feeling emotionally drained, it also feels like an unexpected, unusual freedom from fear.

Detective is available to download on Bandcamp and can be streamed on all digital platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music. Find out more about Sacramento-based Slugfeast on Instagram. Their self-titled album is out next month.