REVIEW

Just five months after “Secret Letters,” Novulent has already returned with a new album—and the difference is immediately striking. From the first play, the leap in sound quality is hard to miss. Less than a year on from the lo-fi textures of Vol. 1, this level of evolution feels remarkable. The guitars, in particular, carry far more weight and density, resulting in what appears to be Novulent’s heaviest and most forceful release to date.

Track #4, “Closure,” stands out with its glacial melodies colliding against storm-like walls of noise, generating a sense of catharsis that has often been associated with bands Novulent has cited as influences, such as Whirr. The songwriting itself also feels more deliberate and fully realized this time around; structural weaknesses that some listeners noted on Vol. 1 are largely resolved here, giving the album a stronger sense of cohesion and momentum.

As a result, this release strongly suggests a new creative peak for Novulent. The project’s monthly listener count—reported at approximately 2.93 million as of August 2024—continues to rise, placing it alongside, and potentially beyond, legacy shoegaze acts like Slowdive and Cocteau Twins. While Novulent has at times been framed as a product of TikTok-driven visibility, the markedly improved sound production here points to something more durable: an artist increasingly capable of standing as a defining presence within the current shoegaze landscape.

With a full-band tour planned around Vol. 2, speculation about international dates feels increasingly plausible. Given how quickly recent shoegaze shows have sold out in Japan, it would not be surprising if promoters are already paying close attention.

As a side note, the spoken line “end here…” heard in the intro of track #3, “Skin To Skin,” also appears in Deadlyswcct’s “perpetual senescence.” The shared sample is intriguing, and its origin remains a small mystery—one that may linger longer than expected. Anyone familiar with the source is warmly encouraged to reach out via X.