softscars

So... this record is kind of a big deal for me. yeule has been on my radar ever since the release of last year's "Glitch Princess", an emotionally resonant, raw album that managed to keep an emotional core and relatability to its topics of gender identity, self-hatred, and depression, even in spite of its very electronic, "online" sound which, if executed poorly, could have simply led to the album itself lacking a personal connection or something to latch onto. Luckily that wasn't the case, "Glitch Princess" hooked me on first listen and has been in regular rotation for me for over a year now, so naturally the announcement of this new record immediately made it one of my most anticipated albums of 2023. But did it live up to the hype? In my opinion, absolutely. While there are naturally spots of this album that I don't think are as strong as others, as well as moments throughout where I felt as though the production and mixing could've benefitted massively from just some slight adjustments, overall as an experience I'd say this is just as strong in terms of quality and memorability as "Glitch Princess". There are so many great moments on this album, and this easily has one of the best soundscapes of any album this year. The glitchy, cold, yet familiar sound of this record is exactly what I wanted out of it, and while the choice itself may prove divisive, I think yeule's choice to embrace the sounds of shoegaze, dream pop and even a dash of noise pop on this LP is especially refreshing and has me looking forward to the future of yeule's music, rather than continuing forward with a vague feeling of worry that they might have merely been another one hit wonder.

"softscars" is wonderful, and for the first time in a long time has me looking forward to the future of pop music, now having artists as inventive, unique and emotionally vulnerable as yeule on the scene.