Flutter & Beautify

When Crimson Whisper emerged out of the ether in 2024, it was with an EP of synthy, metallic textures, muscular live drums, and gossamer vocals, making for a giddy version of shoegaze that incorporated some dream pop and post-punk vibes. As intangible as their sound was the lack of background on the project. That EP, Flutter, was followed the next year by a mini-album and another EP. The Shelflife label stepped in to give the band their first label release, Flutter & Beautify, a track-for-track compilation of their two EPs. Meanwhile, it was revealed that Crimson Whisper consists of San Francisco-based singer Na Lim and an unnamed member of an "established shoegaze band." The mysteriousness extended to Beautify, which on occasion incorporated vocals and more-structured melodies as well as the notion of lead guitar forward in the mix while remaining squarely under the shoegaze umbrella. A song like "Dreamscape," for instance, is even poppy, at least in the dream pop sense. Later, the driving "Eternal Melodies," with its howling guitar countermelody and swirling echo, evokes Disintegration-era Cure in addition to stated (and evident) influences like Slowdive. Meanwhile, the EPs lyrics long for steady ground, with plenty of references to dreams, nature and wildlife, and sensations like being "adrift" or "falling." Alongside gray skies, thorns, and whispering rain, their eerie, thumping debut single, "Velvet Pedals," makes metaphors of nature and music with turns of phrase like "Each pedals a tear in the downpours refrain." Despite its dalliances with pop forms and poetry, Flutter & Beautify closes on the quavering "The Sound of Rain," which again buries Lims vocals in a wall of harmonic shimmer, underscoring their intention to dwell in realms that are just out of reach. ~ Marcy Donelson