Slow Pulp – ‘Moveys’ Album Review

Posted on the 05 October 2020 by Spectralnights

Slow Pulp have already gained plaudits from SXSW, The Fader and KEXP and are now set to release their debut album ‘Moveys’ – a record that took shape while on tour with Alex G in 2019 after the band scrapped an album’s worth of material following Emily Massey’s diagnosis with both Lyme disease and chronic Mono. During the recording sessions and just a week before Covid-19 shut down the United States , Emily’s parents were also sadly involved in a car crash that meant she had to go home to look affter them.

The goosebump-inducing ‘New Horse’ opens the album in sparse yet stirring alt-folk fashion while the following ‘Trade It’ has a fuller sound with Emily pleads with someone to take back their things and ‘feel something much different’. Recent single ‘Idaho’ is a stunning piece of songwriting and storytelling that sits neatly alongside Julien Baker and Big Thief in your record collection, while ‘Track’ opens with samples of the word ‘excellent’ and lively guitar hooks a Emily explains how things will be OK, even though so much of life can change. ‘At It Again’ turns up the tempo with a college rock sound that reminded us of Bully and Elliott Smith, while the short piano interlude of ‘Whispers (in the Outfield)’ is an arty and beautiful piece.

‘I’m a bad mess, I’m a loner with no friends’ are the heartbreaking opening lines of the poignant ‘Montana’ as Emily looks for ways to improve her life, while the closing ‘Movey’ takes things to somewhere else completely – think De La Soul vibes and the Seinfeld music…

‘Moveys’ is a magnificent debut album from your new favorite band.