Lakes - Slow Fade (2025) [Hi-Res]

The fourth record from the Watford sextet, Slow Fade follows a string of records that saw the band borrowing motifs from other genres to brush into their emo orientated sound. Yes, whilst those aforementioned records absolutely continued elements of such genres in their sound both musically and thematically, to dully slap genre tags on them and be done with it would be a disservice to Lakes’ approach. Rather, the sound of this band as a whole is something of a beautiful hand-painted composition. Such musical dollops of paint are not the defining feature of Lakes‘ musical canvas, but rather smaller parts of a greater whole. The musical dashings of a brush that help bring to life something far more greater. Slow Fade is makes such a sentiment inarguable and visceral to the point of it being almost palatable.

The first record to be released via the band’s own freshly launched label Lucky Art, Slow Fade is both the product of the records that came before it and a fresh mantra of ‘if it sounds good, then it’s good”. And indeed does it sound good. The composition that is band’s sound has not been defaced by a cheap sheen, but rather touched-up with additional vibrancy. Whilst many a band in Lakes’s collective shoes may have been anxious about continuing such an intricately mercurial sound, or stressed about how to balance all such musical elements in the mix, there’s none of this here. Rather, Slow Fade feels like Lakes most concise, organic and carefree record to date. Which is feat given just how more expansive this album can be at times when compared to it’s predecessors.

The initial three track run that is ‘Annecy’, ‘Trouble’ and the summer-ready emo anthem that is ‘Peach Fuzz’ feel like the Lakes we’ve become to know following their past three records, but subtle indications of greater things are present. As the respective opener blooms from gently strummed beginnings into the glockenspiel and math-rock-tinged emo we’ve come to expect, newfound elements begin to emerge on their musical canvas. Rousing viola, mechanical beats, pedal steel and synth flourishes are present, complimenting a wider painting they’ve been introduced to. But yet, what makes this new expansionism in sound so brilliant is just how organic it sounds. There’s no forced dynamism or fleeting grasps at shoehorning new motifs here, just musical creativity articulated with a kind of effortless finesse that’s awe-inspiring.