Softest Attack

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Prism Shores’ Softest Attack is a 12‑track indie guitar‑pop album from the Montreal quartet that hits like its title suggests: melodic and inviting on the surface, but with a persi stent emotional sting underneath. Produced by Scott “Monty” Munro and released in April 2026 via Having Fun and Meritorio Records, it runs about 41 minutes and finds the band sharpening their sound into bright, high‑fidelity power pop rooted in C86 jangle, Flying Nun shimmer, and early‑’90s alt‑rock. Opener “Kid Gloves” sets the tone—fuzz‑blown guitars, a deceptively sweet melody, and lyrics about self‑sabotage—while songs like “Gossamer,” “Magical Thinking,” “A Faster Gun,” and “Idle Again” move fluidly between chiming jangle, noise‑pop squall, and hook‑packed, radio‑ready choruses.Across the record, Prism Shores emphasize melody and guitar interplay over production gimmicks: layered electric and acoustic guitars, occasional organ and synth, and vocal harmonies that sit right up front. Critics describe Softest Attack as a “bold reclamation of the power‑pop canon,” noting how the band scale back some of the hazier, nocturnal atmospherics of earlier releases in favor of speed, directness, and tightly written songs that still leave room for noisy codas and skronky, non‑heroic solos. Lyrically, all four members contribute for the first time, circling themes of self‑doubt, hesitation, and emotional false starts; that shared perspective gives the album a subtle range, from the Wedding Present–style swagger of “Nothing to Find” to the drumless, slowly erupting closer “Twist the Knife.” Taken together, Softest Attack feels like the point where Prism Shores stop just being students of their jangle‑pop influences and step forward as one of the genre’s most confident contemporary voices. Show more