Non-K-Pop Spotlight: “138” by BrokenTeeth

Shoegaze has been one of the most interesting trends over the last year or so. The noisy wall of sound style has gained a lot of traction online, and we’ve seen it cross international boundaries with each music scene putting their own unique spin on the sound.

One of the best albums to come out from this shoegazy re-emergence was 2023’s How to Sink Slowly from Korean band BrokenTeeth. The project has bits and pieces of the style all over the record, but perhaps is most notable on “138.” The song is a wistful, discontent haze of guitar and voice, and it perfectly sets the mood for those cooler months. Even in the middle, once the drum beat opens up a bit and resembles more of a traditional emo or hardcore breakdown for just a moment, the track is still true to the core aesthetic of wonderful noise. And that’s not even getting to the fantastic guitar solo that closes out the song while nearly buried under the weight of all the other instruments. The song is truly a treat from start to finish.

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