Animal Drowning

On their second full album, 2022’s Animal Drowning, Philadelphia’s Knifeplay explore one of the veins of shoegaze that seemed lost to history, a stately American variant from the 90s that leaned into arty goth and postpunk, as bands like Bethany Curve and the Autumns showed among others. Lead figure TJ Strohmer’s light, dreamy vocals float above precise constructions from the sextet that burn and build excellently, as songs like “Lonely Sun” and “Untitled” show, while quieter songs such as “Promise” and “Ryan Song” exhibit textured sonic contemplation.