sunlid Shines With “no mires atrás”

Written By: Allen Hale | Photos By: Bianca Sifredi

Released by record label ¼ Compañía Discográfica on Sept. 25, 2024, sunlid’s debut ”no mires atrás”  introduces the group as possessing a penchant for upbeat goodness—self-described in their Instagram bio as “noisy pop”—and a distinct, cohesive identity. The listening experience contained within is one of my favorites of the calendar year.

Although I am less familiar with Argentine shoegaze, sunlid deserves to be examined beyond a limiting focus on geographic identity. Instead, one must take care to observe the music’s own internal cohesion, remarkable for any freshman effort. Their ability to enrapture listeners globally—including those like myself who do not speak Spanish—is the result of dedication to the craft of musical creation, traversing various cultural boundaries. 

“no mires atrás” showcases sunlid taking an astutely mature first step without having to reinvent the wheel; your shoegazing essentials are all there, whether it be waves of whirring riffs or floaty vocals. Influenced by a sister genre in dream pop, the album’s tracklist comes in at a tight 26 and a half minutes and nine total songs, each being mutually implicative without excessive likeness. It is compact, but never rushed.

This impression begins from track one, immediately queuing a listener in for a well-produced experience. Such carefully professional yet alluring energy inspires confidence from its audience, rather than implying a group still finding its footing. As the opener “ya nada es igual” strips itself down and rebuilds into soloing electronics, one is struck by the record’s immediate sense of direction. Simultaneously, sunlid avoids being defined by the glossy over-regulation of studio tinkering. For instance, the arrangement of “camina en la luna” and its layered sound manage to productively elevate the soaring of rising and falling vocals, cheery synths and syncopated hits; it is clean without being inhuman.

Songs throughout utilize similarly detailed organization, striking a balance between catchiness and unexpected, shifting song structures. “solo un momento” is one notable instance. In the span of a minute and a half, it features the anticipation of a slight pause before a guitar lick leads into the chorus, entering a mellow section before a mid-tempo bridge with intense, swirling guitar parts, and soloing. Following all of this, pounding drums lead into climatic silence. 

After this peak, sunlid immediately follow through with my favorite song on the entire record, “invisible.” An overdriven lead guitar rings above accompaniment, almost sounding digitized; after the sleeker pleasantries of earlier moments like “alejarte,” the band demonstrates their ability to distort when needed. This melodic leadoff is utilized in another chorus and the ending, with lighter sections falling between. I cannot tell you what the lyrics mean, but hearing them undoubtedly compels me to sing along. Similar belting is found on “hablar de vos” and “será de mi,” the former being reminiscent of Alvvways’ approach to indie pop: partly fuzzy, partly romantic, wholly catchy.

For myself, the only misstep is the inclusion of “interludio,” which functions as a transition between the seventh and ninth songs. Despite sounding solid, the instrumental’s purpose feels out of place given the album’s brief length; if it were to be placed anywhere, the middle of the tracklist seems more sensible. 

All in all ”no mires atrás” remains thoroughly exciting, even in the tracks described only briefly here. For a group just getting their start, sunlid has a promising path ahead. Anyone looking for gratifying, dreamy bliss should take notice.