Sinwat are a slowcore band based in St Louis, comprising of Jake Zelikovsky (guitar and vocals), Andy Lewis (bass) and Dylan Kiefer (percussion). They have just released their debut full-length, a self-titled album on Philadelphia-based label Super Wimpy Punch, which they describe as “a friendship project examining the nuances of growing up, adolescence, and life in St. Louis.”
If you want an idea of what the album is like, then lead single ‘Retainer’ is a good place to start, a sub three minute snapshot of what Sinwat do so well. Zelikovsky’s vocals provide a softening, nostalgic edge to the otherwise downbeat atmosphere, which is built on sluggish strummed guitar and subtle percussion. The result is something like the ponderous heft of 90s/early 00s slowcore meets the bittersweet radiance of Hovvdy. Starting leaden and lethargic, the song builds patiently with admirable restraint, until finally descending into a blare of fuzzy guitar for a final moment of cathartic noise.