Slow Pulp Serenades A Sold-Out Crowd In Phoenix

Drawing upon influences ranging from folk and indie rock to shoe gaze, the serene signature sound of Slow Pulp has caught the attention of a wide array of listeners over the past few years.

With the release of their 2020 debut LP Moveys, the Chicago-based band quickly found their place as beloved darlings of the indie music scene, gradually building a wide fan base who have remained intrigued and endeared by the alluring style with which they present the woes of human existence that most of us struggle with on a daily basis. Comprised of Emily Massey (lead singer), Henry Stoehr (guitarist/producer), Teddy Matthews (drummer), and Alex Leeds (bassist), the quartet has now built upon their well-deserved success with the recent release of sophomore LP Yard, which was put out on September 29th via ANTI-. The band has also embarked on a North American and European headline tour supporting the album, which Phoenix, Arizona was blessed to be included in with a sold-out show at The Rebel Lounge.

The set began with a warm welcome to Yard, introducing the crowd to “Slugs” and “Carina Phone 1000” as two of the newest members of their discography. Described by Massey as being about ‘falling in love in the summertime’, “Slugs” was a fitting start to the show with the crowd beginning to sway from side to side. All around the packed room, traces of wide smiles could already be seen forming, a byproduct of the warm embrace formed by the union of Massey’s vocals and the band’s instrumentals. Soon after, the third song of the set was revealed to be “At It Again”, an upbeat rock-oriented track off of Moveys that seemingly detailed a regretful struggle with commitment or lack thereof.

Throughout the central portion of the show, the setlist saw the band return to their debut LP with tracks like “Falling Apart”, “New Horse”, and “Trade It”. Digging back even further, even older releases such as “New Media” off of 2019 EP Big Day and 2018 single “Steel Birds” made an appearance, much to the pleasure of a number of fans present who had been avid listeners of the band’s work since their early DIY days. A number of tracks from Yard were shared as well, including the stunning single “Cramps” which saw a more textured departure from Massey’s usual tender, light tone, which worked wonderfully for her and well-demonstrated the range that she holds ready to deliver at any time. The balance between vocals and instrumentals remained impeccably maintained, even when the latter took a more rock-influenced turn for the track that could have easily overpowered Massey’s voice or created a sonically busy sound. This kind of balance is one that can only be maintained so (seemingly) effortlessly by a group that holds deep regard and trust for one another, which is clear in every interaction the quarter has with one another while on stage.

Reaching the last portion of the set, the band descended into the layered introduction of “At Home”, met with cheers from a crowd that knew that their time together was coming to a gradual close. As Massey floated through the first two verses, reaching the signature repetition of “Should I try all over again?”, her own voice was overpowered by the wave of voices joining together from across the crowd during a moment that could only be described as the meeting of pure bliss with collective catharsis. Massey leaned into the crowd, holding her microphone out to further amplify the resounding harmony of voices that had united to share their mutual love for what has to be one of the most beautiful songs on the band’s discography.

After a momentary break, the band quickly returned to the stage for their encore. The standout of their three-song encore, to me, was the captivating performance of titular track “Yard” delivered by Massey. Immediately preceding the song was a brief dedication of the song to Massey’s sister, who was present somewhere in the sea of fans that spanned the entire room. The emotion she sang was tangible in the air and in the audience, most apparent as she reached a more direct line, “Tell my sister she’s good enough for me”. The soft crooning of Massey’s voice rang out with this message for nearly a minute with backing vocals eventually kicking in to fill in a sonic gap that the crowd had not dared fill, recognizing the intimacy of the beautiful moment.

Much of Slow Pulp’s charm can be found in the sheer simplicity of what they present to their audience and how they still manage to convey an ocean of emotion, nuance and thought without needing complex tools or gimmicks. Their appeal comes from the genuine, authentic feelings that can be felt so clearly within each of their releases. Having left Phoenix on a sold-out send-off, we can only hope that we’ll be seeing Slow Pulp again soon in the near future.

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