Slow Fiction – dollhouse

Slow Fiction understand that identity is not something you suddenly discover. It is a quiet power that builds over time, imperfectly, an idea that the NYC five-piece explores through different vignettes on their self-produced full-length debut.

Led by lead singer Julia Vassallo’s playful yet assertive vocal register, the band brings forth an equally variegated sound that matches the distinct viewpoints on display. It didn’t just happen out of thin air. Over the course of five years, they crafted a series of indie power ballads—and a promising EP in 2024, Crush—that channelled their melodic sensibilities in different directions.

Whereas their early work was steeped in post-punk revivalism, Slow Fiction explore denser arrangements on dollhouse, bringing their tension between smoothness and bite into sharper focus. The slow-burning “mouthpiece” builds to an explosive finish as Vasallo resists the forces trying to change her. She turns a sticky situation into life-affirming indie rock on “bottle episode,” which, while drawing some influence from Broken Social Scene, more closely recalls the lush, driving guitar tones of Land of Talk.

The band’s more atmospheric flourishes often drift freely rather than adhere to a more tethered structure, as on “g.a.l.s.,” where Vasallo pauses to consider how best to move forward. While not their forte from an arrangement standpoint—the gentle shoegaze sway of “junior high” makes for an underwhelming album opener—it does feature one of her more evocative reflections: “Who are you when no one’s looking back or through.” Regardless, when paired against strummy rockers like “satellite,” the contrast underscores their deft sequencing, allowing an emotional arc to unfold.

Once “turning down flowers” closes with a relentless beat fit for an anthem, their self-proclaimed bond as a unit comes beautifully to the forefront. Its impact lingers long after the song ends, much like dollhouse, which leaves plenty to sit with beneath its catchy, simple pleasures.

Dollhouse is out now via Tight Knit.