no scope

As Crushed, the duo of Shaun Durkan and Bre Morrell craft a kind of ambient pop that channels the dreamy layers of shoegaze and the hazed-over nostalgia of certain waves of niche 90s club tracks. Their 2023 debut EP, Extra Life, was a perfect opening statement, introducing their sound concisely with six songs and a few remixes that all landed somewhere between dream pop and trip-hop throwback. Their first proper full-length, No Scope is an expansion of sorts, with deeper production and an overall darker tonality than the EP. After recording their earlier tracks primarily at home, Crushed worked on No Scope with producer Jorge Elbrecht, and the sound is significantly clearer while containing more discernible layers. The groove-based "oneshot" grows dynamically as it goes on, with new drum samples and twinkles of electronic sounds punctuating the choruses. The selective use of sub-bass frequencies on this song and other standout tracks add impact and intensity where earlier Crushed tracks were pleasant but more one-dimensional in their atmospheric sound. Theres still plenty of otherworldliness at play, with samples of spoken dialog and lo-fi textures opening up into the dancy pop of "meghan," and "cwtch" drifting along in a sea of moody guitar loops. No Scope moves slowly and thoughtfully through relaxed tempos and nocturnal melodies. "Starburn" finds the perfect intersection of big dance-pop instrumentation and shadowy emotional expressions, landing with the same mournful tone as Portishead or the most aching Massive Attack slow burners. Crushed maintain their nostalgic sound throughout No Scope, but they also break some new ground by clearing away some of the reverb to reveal heavier feelings and arrangements alike. ~ Fred Thomas