1. Lacing - BummerWith their debut album, Bummer, Lacing prove that the weight of depressive heavy gaze isn’t just about total annihilation. Amidst all the sludge fuzz chords and moaning lead guitar lines is a strange, sullen catharsis, a humidity within the depths of despair. Bummer oscillates around a desert of heat-cracked grunge - moments of languid open sky sun-glare reverb give way to smothering dunes of distortion. It all just buries you in the best way possible.2. Bur - SafBur capture a sound that feels almost irrevent towards shoegaze as much as it is beholden to it. There’s a playful a la carte quality to their music, where they pick and choose if crushing fuzz works here or if luminous, swirling lightness works there. Their Saf EP makes no bones about showing off that diversified approach, but it all feels unified in a lethargic, lo-fi slacker bubble. Besides, any band that names one of their songs “Bob Ross” has my vote.3. Soda Lilies - Sleep ReelIt may have come in just before the new year, but Soda Lilies’ new album, Sleep Reel, is the best kind of late: fashionably. Oozing bent guitars and thick fuzz all over the map, Sleep Reel comes off like someone tossed syrup and gravel into a blender, then watched with glee for the results. The result is a crunchy slackergaze daydream that revels in its unspooling, majorly lo-fi aesthetic.4. Lubec - DividendsLubec turn in another fantastically bright and urgent EP with Dividends, pairing their ragged, jangled wall of guitar and piano with always emotive, perfectly contrasted vocal harmonies. Lubec is as close to socio-political as shoegaze gets, but their concern seems to deal more with the emotional ramifications of the state of the world, rather than a lofty brow-beating of everything that’s wrong. Above all, the band harness a cautious optimism and thrust of energy that is sorely needed in today’s state of affairs.5. Silver Liz - I Can Feel the WeightAn album that’s filled to the brim with longing anthems, Silver Liz’s I Can Feel the Weight provides instant feels upon pressing play. It’s a washed out affair, whether they’re bringing in crashing, bent waves of distortion, pattering synth arpeggios, wind-riding guitar smears or ethereal vocals. It all floats in a sprawling expanse of stars, anchored back by a distinctive indie pop sensibility. Proof that when quality songwriting and quality atmospherics smash together, you’ll find some magic.6. Daysee - SplashTwisting through your eardrums like a massive whirlwind, Daysee’s Splash EP basically never lets up. It’s a masterfully delirious, unending soft assault on the senses that has the textural equivalent of taking a ride inside your washing machine. The rolling drums tumble around while searing guitar fuzz spins through pitch-shifts, tremolo, phaser and basically anything else you can think of.7. LLOLLYANNA - LLOLLYANNALLOLLYANNA take their ultra lo-fi shoegaze and shove it through a glam, ballsy noise pop palette. The sheer amount of melted gauziness dripping through their self-titled release will have you swimming inside your head for days. Toss in a few abstract, equally doused soundscapes and there’ll be no need to get out of this pool.8. Zooey - BottlerocketHitting that super lo-fi sweet spot, Zooey’s Bottlerocket is a gloriously spontaneous, patchwork quilt of a slackergaze record. Plenty of quality washed out, fuzzy moments to be had, but it’s Zooey’s willingness to experiment just enough with song structure and album flow that keeps you engaged and curious as to what’s coming next.9. Fuzzy Feeling - Fuzzy FeelingSolid slackergaze that scratches that lo-fi, washed out itch. Fuzzy Feeling’s self-titled release offers constantly bending, chunky guitars set amidst cruising rhythms and an overall lethargic dip into the carpet.10. Alter - PendulumHeavy gaze gone totally goth and it’s just fantastic. Alter’s latest, Pendulum, is a giant block of black stone, built by ominous guitar chords, thundering drums and a unique, ghostly vocal presence. It’s a perfect marriage of shoegaze and darkness, haunted vibes passing through thick texture, you couldn’t ask for more.