It’s an interesting era in post-pop revivalism no matter what your aesthetical persuasions are, and of the recent dispatches to come to my attention, the Noshows/Aud collaboration “Slow Up” is one of the more compelling singles of its kind. Although it’s a rhythm-forward composition, “Slow Up” isn’t lacking in melodic ribbonry by any measurement; contrarily, I think it’s probably one of the more harmonious efforts to drop from an alternative outfit in a while. Noshows is fresh on my radar, but they’re presenting with a level of focus that demands respect from listeners no matter what their taste in music is.
While not designed to be the most provocative element here, there’s enough pick-up in the rhythm to make it an agent of evocation equally as strong as the lyrics are. Noshows isn’t trying to be surreal, but it’s difficult to make something both simplistic and layered without implementing a bit of postmodernity, which is why the relationship between the beat and the verses feels as cerebral as it does in “Slow Up.” I haven’t heard the other songs out of this band’s latest trip into the recording studio, but this has the framing of an identity single if I’ve ever listened to one before.
The tempo never boxes in the vocal, but instead gives our singer in Aud a little bit of room to be flexible at the microphone, which has been a bit of an issue among some of the other major indie tracks that I’ve been listening to this year. There’s certainly enough pressure on the backend to give the beat more oomph than most vocalists would know what to do with, but Aud is unflappable in her role as the center of the performance here. Confidence is something to be respected, and ironically enough it’s not even the most stirring component of her performance.
These harmonies aren’t just slick – they’re downright stylish, and I love how they borrow just a touch of aesthetical brilliance from old-fashioned pop and new jack swing while still sounding like a direct descendent of something a retro rock band might have recorded. It’s all about attitude in this instance, and luckily for everyone listening to this song, Noshows know what they’re doing and, even more importantly in my opinion, what kind of a sound they’re trying to develop in the studio. There’s no uncertainty here; just immersive songcraft at its absolute finest, sparing us the burden of plasticity in every department that matters.
I just got turned on to this colorful new song, but it possesses a certain inviting tone that has been getting harder and harder to find in mainstream alternative music lately, which makes me wonder just how big an impact it could have on Noshows’ blossoming career together. There’s still a lot to uncover with this band and their continuity as a group, but if this ambitiousness we’re hearing in “Slow Up” is giving us an indication of what is still to come, this is going to be a very seminal moment in their time under the spotlight.
Chadwick Easton