REVIEW

New EP from TikTok-born shoegaze breakout Novulent.

He calls it an album—but honestly, either label works. What matters is that this release once again delivers heavy, melancholic shoegaze, now with noticeably stronger vocal expression and more memorable melodic hooks.

Standouts include the icy, Whirr-level heaviness of “Special” (#2), and “used goods” (#3), a collaboration with vvherearewe where dual vocals melt together into something unexpectedly romantic.

At the time of this EP’s release, Novulent’s Spotify monthly listeners sat at 1.47M. As of June 2024, that number has surged to 2.42M—putting him in the same league as Slowdive (2.56M) and Cocteau Twins (2.94M).

I was admittedly more critical during the VOL.1 era, but at this point there’s no denying it: his sound is the real deal. It’s easy to imagine this release appearing on many year-end best-of lists. With a new single scheduled for release on June 20, 2024, Novulent shows no signs of slowing down. The future looks extremely bright.