Cancer House - The Moth (2026)

Styles: Slowcore, Post-Rock | US

Earlier this year, a friend messaged me singing the praises of Chicago's Cancer House, citing them as one of the better rock acts of the 2020s. He sent me their song Camera Obscura, the opening track on their debut record the Moth, demonstrating the band's affinity for hazy, cryptic soundscapes and displaying the band's ability to create gorgeous, yet downtempo and subdued post-rock. Such sounds immediately piqued my interest, as a lover of the classic 4AD slowcore disappointed by the lack of worthwhile music in the genre to have come post-'98 (despite some rare exceptions). In a climate of sign crushes motorists and Cigarettes After Sex, the chances of a contemporary slowcore record being tasteful whatsoever are grimly low, though in a pleasant surprise, Cancer House deliver something genuinely pleasant. The sound of The Moth is cryptic and fairly surreal, having a melancholic tinge throughout yet not drowning the listener in pity. Rather than relying on faux-intimacy and performative DIY aesthetics (see sign crushes motorist), the atmospheres Cancer House create here are delicate mazes-- comparable to those of Grouper's Way Their Crept, though with more angst and production reminiscent of Dean Blunt's dreamiest works. Perhaps the music isn't wholly original, though what is displayed is consistently tasteful and rarely boring, with fairly progressive dynamics and some genuinely unexcepted moments (see the screamo vocals on Flowers Over There [oh, that part is painfully 90s, though it is the only moment in the record like it and it is quite short. Can't judge too harsh; it's charming.]). Cancer House are a promising group, though they admittedly don't leave audiences with too much to write on with their debut. The Moth is perhaps mood music, though it is mood music done very well. With the record being so short (just beneath 30 minutes in runtime), The Moth is gladly recommended listening and is likely to be one of the better records this year.  

7/10

See also: Bedhead, Bark Psychosis, Low, Bluetile Longue, Grouper, Joanne Robertson

Listen here: BandCamp

- stillbeaches

kreyzi's rating: 7.5