Vietnam-based duo Slower Avenue display a post-punk immersion with atmospheric and melodic appeal on their debut EP, Glance. The project comprises Luis Bonet and Thomas Galvez, originally from Spain and California, respectively. They co-produced and mixed the EP together; the result enthralls with its moody yet beautifully melancholic pull, embracing flourishes of nostalgia in its melding of post-punk, darkwave, and synth-pop.
A mixture of dreamy synths and driving post-punk infectiousness compel on the opening “Unequivocal.” Jangling guitars and bright synths reflectively enamor into the melodic vocals, lyrically espousing a sense of clarity into the “hear you calling,” chorus — which reminds fondly of The Cure. “Glance” captivates further, balancing trickling guitars, bustling bass, and melancholic vocal brooding for a standout sound.
The music video for “Glance” is also exemplary of the project’s firm grasp of mood — strutting gorgeous purple and blue with a retro-minded allure throughout the video, which was written, produced, directed, and edited by Galvez. The flower-swaying audience and nocturnal aesthetical spirit aptly complement the stirring production, deftly incorporating the clanging bass and eerie guitar tones with consuming results.
While the EP’s first two tracks tout some soaring, bright sequences, “Dark Shades” enthralls with its ghostlier enigma. Murky guitar movements and sullen vocal immersion ask “is someone there to hear you calling?” — reminding fondly of The Chameleons UK, with the pulsing bass line and creeping synth tones interplaying enjoyably; the title-touting culmination hooks firmly. “Take Me Away” concludes the EP with a climactic allure, building into its yearning titular call as blaring synth effects and nighttime-set guitars linger. The Glance EP is a stylishly melodic post-punk success from Slower Avenue.
