Oubliette – all songs

As a huge fan of Whirr, Nothing and the whole Philly shoegaze scene I was buzzed when I seen Nick Bassett and Brandon Setta named as the members of Oubliette on my socials feed. This side project gathers the project’s existing material into one place, with the earlier Big Spin EP material followed by the two tracks from two songs. I cursory listen through the tracks on Bandcamp sealed the deal for me and I was hooked. I don’t buy a lot of vinyl direct from the US these days due to the price of postage. That said I always make an exception for anything released through The Funeral Party. They just can’t put a foot wrong.

On this record creatively titled all songs Bassett handles the music, Setta handles the lyrics, and across these seven tracks they build something that sits in a shadowed space between shoegaze, electronica and the after-hours pulse of trip hop. Whilst the title of the album is simple and up front, these tracks have so much more going on. Let’s dive in and explore

‘away’ opens the record with a gentle sway. The electronic drums give the song its first real character, clipped and steady, with a machine pulse that leaves the guitars free to blur around the edges. The sound feels heavy even though its light as a feather. The sleepy vocals have enough room to sit half submerged in the mix. That really works against the beats. They feel nocturnal and the guitars only wrap us in a pillowy gauze. It sets the album’s emotional temperature right away. This is shoegaze with its eyes open at 2am, wired, tired and still staring at the ceiling.

‘held under’ takes that opening mood and relaxes into another shape. The drum sound has a cold snap to it, that contrasts beautifully with the warmth of the rest of the track. The guitar tone spreads wide, softening the edges of the rhythm without dulling its impact. The vocal delivery feels close to exhaustion, with lines that seem to come from the end of a conversation you have already had too many times. The song has a patient build. You keep waiting for the guitars to swallow everything, yet the beat keeps the track moving forward in small, controlled steps until it all just fades into a dream.

There’s a surge of energy as we enter ‘big spin’, a track that carries itself with a dazed, looping energy. The rhythm feels more grounded here, giving the song a slight sway beneath the haze. Deep in the dream you find you’re tapping your foot along. The guitars both pick out the melody with a deftness of touch whilst other guitars surge in a reverse reverb wash keeping time with the drums. There is a compact pop instinct tucked inside this one, even with the murky textures and bruised lyrical tone. Check out the false stop near the end. This is an absolute storming track.

Things become more contemplative again with ‘two futures’’. The electronic percussion keeps a strict pulse while the guitars smear across the sides of the track, giving the arrangement a sense of being held in suspension. The vocal has a wounded calm to it, which suits the lyric’s focus on waiting for a sign that may never arrive. There is a lovely ache in the way the melody rises, then seems to hesitate before giving too much away. You can hear the shoegaze DNA in the guitar tone, but the beat gives the song a different posture.

A chiming piano intro opens ‘dizzy forever’ next. This one takes its time, building around a tired pulse and textures that feel smeared across the top of the mix like streetlight through half closed eyes. As the track opens out, the guitars gain more presence without ever breaking the song’s mood of contemplation. It is the most patient piece here, and it rewards your equally patient listening by letting the emotional detail come through slowly.

Following that, fuzz free glide guitar ushers in ‘after life’. The guys wear their shoegaze colours proudly on this one. I love how they bring a gentle ballad and apply the beautiful noise to it. For me that’s where music is at its most exciting. Where styles, genres and moods meet and melt together. The vocal is given plenty room which really lets the performance shine with its gentle ache. It’s over before you realise it which for me is always the sign of a great song.

Closing with ‘high flyer’ gives all songs one last lift while keeping the record’s low-lit mood intact. The acoustic guitar sound feels a touch brighter which helps fill the gap left by having no drums on this one. As a final track, it avoids a grand closing gesture and chooses something more fitting: a final look upward from a place that still feels heavy underfoot.

Taken together, all songs works because the seven tracks share a private language. Not at all heavy shoegaze guitars, electronic drum patterns, trip hop shadows and plain-spoken lyrical ache all sit close together, creating a record that feels enclosed but never static. The songs are long enough to stay sharp, yet each one leaves behind a distinct emotional mark. The production gives the project its character, with programmed rhythm and guitar haze woven together seamlessly. Oubliette have made a small catalogue feel complete here. Every piece earns its place, and the title ends up feeling plain in the best way: Oubliette have given us all songs, and each one deserves to be remembered.

all songs is out now via The Funeral Party. You can check it out over on the Oubliette Bandcamp page.

You can follow Oubliette on social media here…

• Bandcamp