The US based shoegaze/dreampop duo Chainlacing are the new kids on the block. Honing into sounds similar to that of Slowdive, the band are looking to make their mark in the dreamy soundscapes that ruled the late 80s and throughout the 90s. Lauren Crosser and Rick Martel are both enthusiastic musicians and are hoping their debut can inspire new listeners, let’s find out if it can.
‘Pretty Pleas’ is the opening track, and the riff just hits you right in the face, along with those dreamscape sounding vocals. Definitely tapping into the heavier side of shoegaze from the get-go. It sounds strangely uplifting, the synths in the background really lift the song. It is a good opener. ‘Overdetermined’ is next up, a slower track, starting off with a relaxed beat and some light sounding keyboard. Crosser’s vocal on the track is almost robotic, creating an atmospheric feeling to the track. The track is reminiscent of Lush (another early shoegaze band), and that’s a compliment. Starting with the fuzzy distortion and some background piano, ‘Preacher’ feels like a very far away track. Even when the beat comes in and Martel’s vocal starts, it gives the vibe of a dream, similar to Spiritualized. Although later in the track, the guitar turns angry, and the song begins to wail a bit, almost as if it’s waking up from its slumber.
‘Fragile’ is a short track, and acoustic for the most part. Crosser’s vocal carries along the song, as it seems to get more and more distorted. it’s a nice change of pace from the other tracks, which is always welcome. Now, we go from a short track to a long one, ‘Sublimate’ being just over six minutes. It begins with a slow, entrancing riff and Crosser’s soft vocal. In the middle it becomes an even softer track, completely playing on the dreampop genre. Then it picks up into a whirlwind of distortion, Martel’s vocal sounding evil, before changing one final time. It closes with a menacing sounding riff, but apart from that it is rather relaxing.
‘Stay’ has a great beat that lingers throughout the entire track to let you know it’s still there. it starts quite cool, then about halfway in the track erupts into distortion and noise, before turning back to it’s calm self. The beat almost sounds like a heartbeat, paired with crosser’s “Stay with me” line, it sounds like someone could be on their way out. Profound and mysterious, a good track overall. ‘Simulacra’ is another track that builds itself up, the wall of sound getting higher and higher as the track goes on. The guitar on this one is satisfying, something about that riff. Very otherworldly. ‘Compulsion’ is very eery in it’s intro, the slow guitar riff paired with the ghastly synth in the background. Crosser’s vocals only add to the haunting feeling. It is quite a cold track and matches the vibe of the album well. The outro is great too, a rising cacophony of sound. a good track. The final song is called ‘Empty Cages’, and it begins with some lovely piano, very serene. The track is almost angelic, the vocals are soft, the melody glides along, it’s slowly lifting you out of the album. A nice one to end on.
And with that, Chainlacing’s debut album, Messuage, is done and dusted. Shoegaze is not dead, it never died (and never will!), and this duo have made certain of that. For a debut album, it’s solid stuff, drawing in influences from different decades of that distorted, dreamy sound. If you enjoy shoegaze/dreampop this is a great new album to get into.
Chainlacing: Messuage – Released 19 June 2026 (These Hands Melt)
– Overdetermined [Official Music Video]
