Brokenteeth : How to Sink Slowly (추락은 천천히)

Brokenteeth is a prolific artist who released The Letters in the fall of 2021 and singles throughout 2022. How to Sink Slowly is an early 2023 full length that brings his indie rock and shoegaze style back into the open. The 10-track album continues to show polish and precision in his music.

The preferred genres present slow tempos with drifting melodies. Instead of burying the experience with a wall of sound, Brokenteeth takes a lighter approach and allows listeners to really enjoy each moment. It’s almost a melancholy tone. Take “128” and “walkerrr…” as examples. They are two sides of the style but are instantly recognizable as Brokenteeth.

And while I enjoy these “lighter” tracks, I get interested when Brokenteeth really dives deep. “Sunset Strike” feels like a slow walk during the track’s first half before this instrumental force comes forward. It pushes a mellow but firm sonic wall forward that continues to build toward the end.

Shoegaze can have a tendency towards repetition, but Brokenteeth is able to separate tracks well. His vocals remain constant across each song and the instrumentals offer new guidance on the listener’s journey. And I really like how he’s able to create a narrative throughout How to SInk Slowly instead of placing songs to tire out your experience.

Della Zyr has a feature on “Heaven Express(again)” and her vocals are a great counter to Brokenteeth. It also shows how well her vocals can mold to a song rather than feel like an outlier. There’s a complete statement made with her inclusion.

I feel that Brokenteeth has a firm grip on the style of music he wants to make. How to Sink Slowly is a great addition to his discography and highlights his grasp on the two genres he composes. The question is, will he continue to drive down this path or will he expand into parallel territory on the later releases?