(Andy Synn finds that the fourth time continues to charm when it comes to Shedfromthebody)
With 2025 finally starting to get into gear, it’s time for us to start looking ahead and planning out what artists and albums we’re going to review over the next few months (and beyond).
That being said, it’s always important to leave a little bit of wiggle room in your schedule for an unexpected surprise or two… such as the recently-released new album from Finnish “Doom-gaze” chanteuse Suvi Savikko, aka Shedfromthebody.
If you’re not familiar with Shedfromthebody‘s… ahem… body of work thus far, feel free to check out my discography deep-dive from last year before going any further (although you’ll be fine going in totally blind as well, as Whisper and Wane also serves as a perfect introduction for any new fans).
One thing you may notice, having done so, is that whereas 2023’s Amare represented arguably the most overtly “heavy” evolution of the project’s sound – pushing the weighty, down-tuned guitars further into the foreground while still that ever-present sense of ethereal ambience – Whisper and Wane shifts its focus, ever so slightly, towards the doomier (and, at times, dronier) side of the spectrum.
That’s not to say that the fourth Shedfromthebody album is noticeably “softer” than its predecessor – the storm-driven, Deftones-esque grooves of “Nail”, for example, are easily the equal of any of Amare‘s “heaviest” moments – it’s just that, in terms of the overall dynamic, Whisper and Wane prefers to let the atmosphere and tension build a little longer, knowing that the ultimate payoff will be more than worth it.
Simmering, shimmering opener “Destroyer”, for example, first sets the scene with its layers of slow-burning sound, after which the mesmerising melodic melancholy of “Mooring” – an early highlight on an album heavily weighted with multiple candidates – languidly and seductively builds towards the first of many colossal, cathartic crescendos.
Brooding back-to-back future classics “Milk” and “Velveteen” also make a strong case for this being the best Shedfromthebody release so far, with the gorgeously gloomy, sublimely sombre (except when it isn’t) approach of the former pairing nicely with the droningly infectious, doomily delicious nature of the latter, with the soothing strains of captivating closer “Kenopsia” putting an even richer layer of moody, melodic icing on the cake to finish things off in scintillating style.
So, in the end, Whisper and Wane is both a welcome surprise… and not a surprise at all, as this is exactly the sort of musical magic we’ve come to expect from Shedfromthebody!