DIIV & Miserable on 20 Shoegaze Bands You Should Know in 2020 // PASTE

DIIV

Zachary Cole Smith—the central voice behind DIIV—has long been on the inside of addiction. After the group released their sophomore album, Is the Is Are, Cole entered a long-haul inpatient treatment for heroin addiction, a struggle that became public in 2013 when he and his then-girlfriend Sky Ferreira were busted for possession. Cole’s experiences in rehab became the inspiration for the group’s latest record, Deceiver, and while the album displays the group’s darkest sound yet, it also ends up being their most earnest. The wider, dynamic sound texture across Deceiver is one of the most apparent improvements from past records with a clear, crisp approach that avoids sterility. The sound matches the scope of blackgaze contemporaries like Deafheaven—who DIIV have toured with—without crossing the threshold into metal. Nonetheless, the lush, sometimes crushing instrumentation speaks to the daunting task Cole has undergone to restore himself. — Hayden Goodridge

Miserable

This project of Kristina Esfandiari (Whirr, King Woman) finds her at her most vulnerable and emotional. Oscillating between shoegaze and dream pop, her music dwells in a soft, meditative space that reverberates with thoughtfulness. Every song, though, is tinged with darkness, especially on the edgy 2018 release Loverboy / Dog Days. — Danielle Chelosky


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