Chicago alt-rock quartet daarling are leaning into vulnerability on their latest single, “slow,” released earlier this month alongside a striking new music video. The track marks the band’s first new release since their 2023 debut album, The Deep Within, and hints at a larger body of work arriving later this year.
Built on shimmering shoegaze textures and sharp quiet-to-loud dynamics, “slow” captures the uneasy feeling of watching friendships shift with time. The song reflects on emotional distance, growing older and the strange loneliness that can settle in even among familiar faces. Rather than romanticising nostalgia, daarling frame it as something restless and unresolved.
Musically, “slow” balances restraint with catharsis. Its hazy guitars and gradual swells mirror the emotional weight of the lyrics, while the chorus lands with a lingering sense of exhaustion and yearning. The accompanying visual adds another layer of intimacy, matching the song’s reflective tone without losing the band’s raw edge.
Speaking about the release, the band said they “hope that people will not only have some way to relate to this song, but also that it helps others find clarity if they are feeling the same way about friendships, the passing of time, and life.” That emotional directness is precisely what makes “slow” resonate. It feels lived-in rather than performative.
The band will also perform at The Empty Bottle on May 24 alongside Snowcuffs and Almost There But Not Really. Get your tickets now!
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