Phoenix shoegaze four-piece Glixen has spent most of 2024 building upon its fine reputation for creating sonic mystery and whipping up a fanbase of like-minded souls prepared to be absorbed in the band's immense glow and aural whirlwind.
The quartet of Aislinn Ritchie (vocals), Esteban Santana (guitar), Keire Johnson (drums), and Sonia Garcia (bass) seem to have effortlessly generated a swathe of interest but that superficially belies the fact that there's a tumultuous center to their sound vigorously powered with melodies and huge walls of sound. "Lick the star" begins with languid, atmospheric echoes of melodies ebbing and flowing, soft vocal coo's – think of a sleepy Cocteau Twins – and just as it seems like petering out before it's begun there's a ferocious crash of activity. They sound huge as they launch into a more expected, but brutal, shoegaze sound.
The thunderous drumming and frantic riffs threaten to take the roof off even while Ritchie's sweet, sensual voice weaves around the racket. It's exactly this evocative palette that has attracted lovers of this sound and further afield. Eventually, their effort breaks apart and there's a dying drone and feedback to the song's end. Ears ringing out, broad smile in place. This feels like an even more assured release from a band on their way up. With the "Quiet Pleasures" EP from which this song is drawn due out in February and the Spring chock full of tour dates for their first headline tour of the US and Canada, it's easy to imagine more and more music lovers discovering and attaching themselves to Glixen's glorious sonic wagon.
Connect with Glixen: Instagram | Bandcamp | YouTube | Twitter / X
