Track by Track is a recurring feature series in which artists guide readers through every song on their latest release. Today, Slow Pulp take us through their new record Yard.
Today (September 29th), Chicago quartet Slow Pulp return with their sophomore album Yard.
Featuring Emily Massey on vocals, Alex Leeds on bass, Teddy Matthews on drums, and Henry Stoehr on guitar and production, Yard builds on the guitar-forward dream-pop of Slow Pulp’s 2020 album Moveys. But now equipped with an even deeper level of trust between themselves in the years since, the band use Yard as an opportunity to showcase their broader influences within indie rock, infusing their sound with gritty punk, piano balladry, and folksy twang.
Massey’s vocals also sound more confident on Yard, especially on the single “Broadview,” a bittersweet country ballad that encapsulates late-night summer love. “This song is about letting yourself fall in love for the first time in a long time,” Massey says of the track in a press release. “After being hurt in previous relationships I was trying to decide if making the jump was worth it. Turns out it was.”
Learning to love oneself in isolation is an overall theme throughout Yard, but Slow Pulp also acknowledge the value of finding support in each other. “Part of what we discovered — or what Emily discovered — is taking that time to be intentionally isolated is really important, as is being more collaborative at other times. We’ve learned a lot about balancing and being intentional about that through this process,” Leeds says.
Listen to Slow Pulp’s Yard below, followed by Massey’s Track by Track breakdown of the project. You can also grab tickets to their remaining tour dates here.
