Shallow Waves - Degradation

If I was first introduced to Shallow Waves when they first started in 2013, I would have written them off as another garage rock band paying homage to days gone past. While their sound on their debut EP "Come on in" wasn't out of line with what was expected of the genre, it also didn't merit a lot of attention. But as time passes, things change, and so do bands. In the recent past, Shallow Waves has reinvented themselves by finding inspiration in bands such as Metz, Idles, Girl Band, and Toronto's underground psych scene. Thus Shallow Waves steps out from the garage rock scene and have found themselves reemerging from a cocoon; they are now a beautiful, post-punk, noise, and industrial butterfly ready to spread their wings and fly away. 


Shallow Waves' latest single is titled 'Degradation'. The song starts off with some fuzzy guitars that's eventually filled in with wicked drum rhythms. The soft but well sung vocals sound off as if they're from a dreamy state. This is all filled in with a generally unsettling, but much appreciated, raw aesthetic the song covers from head-to-toe. It's hard not to describe the ending of the song as an industrial rock piece as the guitars become increasingly crunchy and the drums begin to blast. Wonderful work all around, aside from one complaint: the high pitched guitar screeches that regularly stakes a claim on the song (this sound first appears around the twenty-three second mark, for reference). It is annoying to my ear and head and was entirely unwelcome. 

'Degradation' stands out as a good song from Shallow Waves. It is both a sign of musical maturity and of things to come from this foursome. Be sure to click the play button of that music video above and to keep your eyes on the band! 

This review was commissioned through our Ko-fi page.
Mar 13 2021