Almost two years without new music from The Loud Bangs has got me jonesing for a fix. Thankfully, we now have a new album from them.

By Graeme Smith

Between 2021 and 2023, we were never far from a release from the Los Angeles, USA-based band. EP after EP hit our ears, never disappointing as the band lived up to their label as the “Pink Floyd of shoegaze.” This reviewer has made no secret of his love for them.

Their new release, Mexican Astronomy, has been worth the wait. Their first ever full-length album, you can understand why it’s taken a little longer to craft. Across ten track and exactly 38 minutes, they show why everyone should be as excited about them as I am.

Mexican Astronomy is split over two discs, the first gentle and welcoming while the second moody and expansive. Buried with Scissors gives us our first sample, displaying a soft, almost pop sound which is likely to have broad appeal. That’s not to say the band have abandoned their edge. There’s still plenty of layered experimentation going on too. The vocals have come a little more to the fore, and remain beautifully ethereal.

Next New Look is a vibrant early highlight. As is the textured I Already Did. Ow Ow marks a change in tone, getting hot, heavy and groovy at the end of disc one. In Motels is a particularly stirring moment, taking its time to get going before exploding into heart-wrenching life. Why Do You Like Me? is infused with paranoia and self-doubt. Start Here closes things with a ponderous, acoustic number.

I think I may have run our of superlatives to describe The Loud Bangs. Just, please, listen to them.

Obviously an album of the year contender, Mexican Astronomy is out now and you can check it out below.