Song of the Day: Newmoon – ‘Crazing’

Over the past decade, Belgian outfit Newmoon have carved an evocative brand of shoegaze, yet their latest single, ‘Crazing’, hints that there is more to them than washed-out guitars. “’Crazing ‘is one of the noisier songs on this album”, Newmoon singer-guitarist Bert Cannaerts explains. “We’re always looking for that one melody that hides within a song. With ‘Crazing’ we wanted to try our hand at a song that incorporates loads of guitar textures but still feels melodic and airy. On one hand, it has these dark and droning fuzzed-out guitars but on the other hand, it sounds fresh and uplifting.

It is no doubt that the surging melodies, prolong that are buried underneath create an alluring soundscape that borders on the fine line of darkness and optimism. Nevertheless, ‘Crazing’ fits in with Newmoon‘s sonic narrative that they have been fine-tuning.

Their third full-length, ‘Temporary Light’, is released next month and is their first album in five years. Ever since emerging with ‘Space’ in 2016, Newmoon have a proven tendency to build songs with layers upon layers of reverb and fuzz, creating stunning dreamscapes. While as demonstrated on 2019’s ‘Nothing Lasts Forever,’ the quintet aren’t afraid to lean towards a melodic indie rock sound executed in an early 90s-esque manner.

With a range of influences across shoegaze, alternative, and post-rock, ‘Temporary Light’ aims to be the culmination of where and how far Newmoon have come. Tracks such as ‘Crazing’ and ‘Eternal Fall’ beautifully thrive with atmospheric grace. Whereas ‘Fading Phase’ gently draws you with its steady, but soaring, build.