The Shrubs – Let Us In

If you paid close attention to our pages in the last couple of years, then you probably stumbled upon The Shrubs, an exceptional band from Houston, Texas. You should also know by now that they always deliver songs that resonate with anyone who appreciates cleverly assembled, flawlessly performed music. That’s the case with “Let Us In,” their latest standalone single, released today across all streaming platforms. Lyrically, the song deals with behaviour patterns, and we judge and place people into comfortable mental labels in our minds, despite how far we may have come with the overall acceptance of people with mental trauma or disorders. The bands states that we, as a society, still have a very long way to go in accepting differencies around us. And The Shrubs explore this theme in such depth, immediately drawing listeners in and forcing them to think about this subject. As usual, The Shrubs use several complementary music genres to construct a lush sonic ambiance that immediately wraps around the listening apparatus and refuses to let go long after the last notes and beats end. Perhaps power pop comes to mind first, as the duo incorporated all the fundamental elements of this genre, but do not be surprised if you stumble upon some of the finest properties borrowed from shoegaze, alternative, and indie rock along the way. They blend all those styles with such precision and finesse, and although these additional sonic ingredients may seem like simple enhancements, accentuations, and decorations, they definitely play a significant role in shaping the song’s atmosphere. For this particular song, The Shrubs have recorded onto reel-to-reel tapes for more depth and ambiance, and then digitized the recording. Therefore, “Let Us In” carries qualities that meet all the trends in modern music production, yet shines with retro nostalgia we all adore. It’s definitely a song that will immediately resonate with longtime dream pop fans and newbies to the genre.

And you’ll definitely notice how much time and effort The Shrubs have poured into this fine piece of sonic artistry. As soon as you press play, you’ll notice how the interplay between several guitar layers shape a perfect backdrop for all the vocals to shine upon. The band has incorporated acoustic chord progressions, jangly arpeggiated chord progressions, and heavily distorted guitar riffs. On top of all of that, you’ll stumble upon many themes, melodies, harmonies, and other sonic maneuvers. Beneath all those guitar works, they’ve also included many string instrumentations, and synth leads and pads, making this composition even more lush, detailed, and complex. It’s nearly mindblowing how all these layers articulate together without overwhelming each other, proving that The Shrubs thought about everything while writing, composing, arranging, and producing this song. You’ll also notice how a marvelous vocal performance serves as a centerpiece here by commanding attention, elevating each instrumentation to new heights, and guiding the listener through an expansive sonic universe. The soulful, passionate, sincere, confident, powerful vocal lines seamlessly balance low, mid, and high notes with such precision and finesse, emphasizing everything The Shrubs intended to achieve with this song. Besides decorating all those segments and instrumentations, these vocal harmonies also contribute more than necessary emotional depth, additional melody, and complexity over an already intricate song structure. The bass guitar is so subtle, yet it’s vividly hearable throughout the entire song. You’ll how all those intricate low-end notes rumble beneath, contributing more than necessary heaviness, clarity, and depth while acting as a binding element between the mentioned instrumentations and rhyhtmic patterns. In the meantime, the exceptional drumming, based upon cleverly assembled, flawlessly performed, well-accentuated beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics, keeps everything in line while dictating groove and pace. Every instrument has its place and purpose here, making “Let Us In” such a marvelous listening experience worth revisiting over and over again.

“Let Us In” is such a beautiful dream pop song that not only carries all the fundamental elements of the genre but pushes the boundaries and breaks all the rules of it. With the additional ingredients taken from shoegaze and indie rock, this composition proves there’s more enough room for fresh ideas and innovation. The Shrubs’ tremendous experience, creativity, talent, and skills are on full display here, as they delivered one of the most fascinating dream pop songs the scene has witnessed in years. If you love your dream pop music, catchy, memorable, engaging, and beautiful, “Let Us In” will be right up your alley. Do not miss it!