Eternally Great Cincinnati Shoegaze Band Soften Returns with New EP, 'Soften Forever'
The quartet hosts a release party Friday, June 14 at Woodward Theater
Soften's 'Soften Forever' EPPhoto: soften.bandcamp.comCincinnati Shoegaze greats Soften are releasing a new five-track EP, Soften Forever, on June 14 and later that night they’ll be celebrating with a show at Woodward Theater (1404 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, woodwardtheater.com).
The 8 p.m. event will also feature performances by veteran local singer/songwriter Kim Taylor (Soften’s frontperson Brianna Kelly has worked extensively with Taylor), as well as Philadelphia’s Son Step and Brooklyn’s Wilder Maker. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door.
Soften Forever is a captivating and immersive listening experience. Hypnotic but never sleepy, ethereal but never lightweight, Soften separates itself from other Shoegaze acts (past and present) with the strength of the underlying songwriting. There’s an almost symphonic quality to the song arrangements, largely eschewing cookie-cutter verse/chorus repetition to create a dreamy, stream-of-conscious slipstream of sound, anchored by Kelly’s enthralling vocals and melodies, which are transcendentally soulful. The music also rises and falls tonally, heart-bursting guitars alternating with mesmeric atmospherics.
Soften Forever is a bewitching piece of art taken as a whole, but even the individual tracks offer a similarly engaging, blissfully unpredictable ride. Sitting right in the middle of the EP, “Sun Comes Out” (which the band recorded for its “Tiny Desk Contest” submission) is a particular standout, the sonic equivalent of a perfect, meditative warm bath that leaves you re-energized once it’s over.
Beginning June 14, stream/download Soften Forever at soften.bandcamp.com. Check out the track "Iridescent" below:
