Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
The number of shoegaze revival bands operating in 2015 dwarfs the number of bands active during the sound's '90s heyday. One of the many, many revivalists, Swedish quintet Westkust do their best to distance themselves from the droning and hypnotic herd on their debut album, Last Forever. Yes, they have overloaded guitars and shop at the same pedal store where Kevin Shields once shopped. Yes, they are dreamy and hypnotic and atmospheric on the sleepy songs, while being super-loud and dramatic on the songs that drive all over the listeners. They check off all the requisite boxes that everyone else does so faithfully, it's true. But Westkust manage to pull ahead of the competition in a couple of important ways. Firstly, they utilize the time-honored (because it almost always works) male-female vocal approach to perfection. Whether duetting wistfully or trading off lines in almost conversational tones, Julia Bjernelind's earthy tones and Gustav Andersson's boyish croon blend together in all the right ways. Bjernelind's solo track "Jonna" shows she can carry the vocal load all by herself just fine, too. Secondly, while the guitars-bass-drums whip up a roiling cauldron of sound that can be soothing or lacerating, the lead guitar lines over the top are always wonderfully melodic and bright, giving the sound a nice light topping that's as sweet as sugar. Thirdly, they flat-out wrote a batch of really good songs that are dramatic, emotionally satisfying, and stand up to repeated listens. There are no bum tracks, no songs that sound borrowed from the original wave, and in "Swirl" they have one that would fit in between Ride and Moose on a playlist and nobody would bat an eye. The rest of Last Forever is almost that strong and as a debut it's pretty remarkable. Definitely good enough that anyone who has ever had a fondness for shoegaze or a predilection for dream pop needs to check it out right away.
© Tim Sendra /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $10.83/month
Westkust, Composer, Artist, MainArtist - Westkust Publishing Designee, MusicPublisher
2015 Run For Cover Records 2015 Run For Cover Records
Westkust, Composer, Artist, MainArtist - Westkust Publishing Designee, MusicPublisher
2015 Run For Cover Records 2015 Run For Cover Records
Westkust, Composer, Artist, MainArtist - Westkust Publishing Designee, MusicPublisher
2015 Run For Cover Records 2015 Run For Cover Records
Westkust, Composer, Artist, MainArtist - Westkust Publishing Designee, MusicPublisher
2015 Run For Cover Records 2015 Run For Cover Records
Westkust, Composer, Artist, MainArtist - Westkust Publishing Designee, MusicPublisher
2015 Run For Cover Records 2015 Run For Cover Records
Westkust, Composer, Artist, MainArtist - Westkust Publishing Designee, MusicPublisher
2015 Run For Cover Records 2015 Run For Cover Records
Westkust, Composer, Artist, MainArtist - Westkust Publishing Designee, MusicPublisher
2015 Run For Cover Records 2015 Run For Cover Records
Westkust, Composer, Artist, MainArtist - Westkust Publishing Designee, MusicPublisher
2015 Run For Cover Records 2015 Run For Cover Records
Album review
The number of shoegaze revival bands operating in 2015 dwarfs the number of bands active during the sound's '90s heyday. One of the many, many revivalists, Swedish quintet Westkust do their best to distance themselves from the droning and hypnotic herd on their debut album, Last Forever. Yes, they have overloaded guitars and shop at the same pedal store where Kevin Shields once shopped. Yes, they are dreamy and hypnotic and atmospheric on the sleepy songs, while being super-loud and dramatic on the songs that drive all over the listeners. They check off all the requisite boxes that everyone else does so faithfully, it's true. But Westkust manage to pull ahead of the competition in a couple of important ways. Firstly, they utilize the time-honored (because it almost always works) male-female vocal approach to perfection. Whether duetting wistfully or trading off lines in almost conversational tones, Julia Bjernelind's earthy tones and Gustav Andersson's boyish croon blend together in all the right ways. Bjernelind's solo track "Jonna" shows she can carry the vocal load all by herself just fine, too. Secondly, while the guitars-bass-drums whip up a roiling cauldron of sound that can be soothing or lacerating, the lead guitar lines over the top are always wonderfully melodic and bright, giving the sound a nice light topping that's as sweet as sugar. Thirdly, they flat-out wrote a batch of really good songs that are dramatic, emotionally satisfying, and stand up to repeated listens. There are no bum tracks, no songs that sound borrowed from the original wave, and in "Swirl" they have one that would fit in between Ride and Moose on a playlist and nobody would bat an eye. The rest of Last Forever is almost that strong and as a debut it's pretty remarkable. Definitely good enough that anyone who has ever had a fondness for shoegaze or a predilection for dream pop needs to check it out right away.
© Tim Sendra /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 8 track(s)
- Total length: 00:28:07
- Main artists: Westkust
- Composer: Westkust
- Label: Run For Cover Records
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock Alternative & Indie
2015 Run For Cover Records 2015 Run For Cover Records
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz?
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalog with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets, and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.