The Antlers - “Sylvia”

That message about Shoegaze got me thinking some more, and I just started listening to some shoegaze records I hadn’t heard in a while. Although The Antlers’ Hospice is not strictly a ‘shoegaze record,’ this song exemplifies exactly what I was trying to get at in my response to that message.

The structure of “Sylvia” is focused on the delicate balance between loud and soft. In the verse, the music and vocals are incredibly quiet — almost whisper thin — with distant, distorted guitars producing a subtle atmosphere in the background. Then that gargantuan chorus comes crashing in, guitars flaring, with Peter Silberman practically screaming the song’s title as the music writhes and surges underneath. It’s a powerful spectacle to behold, and certainly one that has brought me to tears on more than a few occasions.

Moments like these, in a sense, represent what I like about shoegaze as a whole. That first, sudden chorus of “Sylvia” wouldn’t be nearly as powerful or as immediate without the quiet verse as a counterbalance. Similarly, the crescendoing instrumental climax two thirds through the song wouldn’t hold much water without the propulsive choruses backing it up. The best shoegaze is neither too loud all the time nor too quiet; it’s all about exploring the extremes in equal measure. 

(Source: lucifer-youth-foundation)