New Music: SLIPS – Convent

With Ken Russell’s The Devils back in the news and still causing uproar among the easily offended, the release of Convent couldn’t have worked better for SLIPS.

Convent displays a notable tonal shift from the dark pop of their Drawing Lifelines On debut. I’m curious to know if the occasional Hammond organ sounds and the off-centre texture of Convent are related to the film, or is inspired by a similar visual language.

The vocals of Teddy Georgia could easily mark it as plainsong, unadorned yet awash with longing, were it not for the presence of bandmate Alex Bhore and his role in giving life to the cinematic, anti-liturgical nature of the synths. Convent could be calling you to prayer, but who is the unnamed object of such devotion? We might never know. I could be wildly off base here, but that’s part of the joy of throwing yourself into someone else’s art: world building within an uncertain land.

Intriguingly, the duo has elected to not divulge much about the lyrics, and for a very good reason. “When talking about music, I’m always torn between letting the song go out to live its own life without much explanation, and the egoistic urge to lay my little lyrics bare,” explains Georgia. “I’m not going to steal the listener’s chance to meet their own meanings today.”

Convent can also be heard on Spotify, while Drawing Lifelines On can be downloaded on Bandcamp. Connect with SLIPS on Instagram or TikTok for song news and details of live dates.

Header photo by Daven Martinez