Song You Need: They Are Gutting a Body of Water keep shoegaze fun on “delta p”

The FADER’s “Songs You Need” are the tracks we can’t stop playing. Check back every day for new music and follow along on our Spotify playlist.

When I type “delta p” into Spotify, the platform suggests a track called “Delta Pattern 74.0 - 78.0 Hz & Endearing Waves.” It’s…alright, but the piece doesn’t scratch my brain quite like the music of They Are Gutting a Body of Water, who released a track called “delta p” on their new album lucky styles. The Philly shoegaze group is more indebted to My Bloody Valentine‘s underrated sense of play than their sound — whimsical melodies, left-field samples, and a willingness to clear the fog are a few of the ways that the group have managed to push through the crowd since 2018.

“delta p” is a bite-sized delight on an album full of them. It’s a great distillation of everything the group does so well — creating deep, enveloping music with a wink and a smile. The dirge of guitar distortion is matched by a creaky line that sounds as though it's plucked on a miniature Jazzmaster, a sweet pairing accompanied by lyrics that thrum with divine inspiration: “His head a brilliant knot / that God / spit out / he must have tasted / so good / burnt into her tongue / as she calls / to return.” Initially, They Are Gutting a Body of Water sound like Alex G with a couple dozen more distortion pedals, but tracks like “delta p” offer a uniquely built and immersive world to get lost in.