There's been a genuine buzz around London outfit Whitelands. That makes sense given that listeners' thrist for shoegaze seems almost stronger now than in 1991. And while Whitelands certainly owe something to that wave that brought us Ride, Lush (Emma Anderson is on this record), and Chapterhouse, they are also delivering a more robust updating of those styles than just about any other similar band in 2026. Which is all to say that Sunlight Echoes, their new album, is certainly as good as you'd hoped it would be. Maybe even better.
Familiar singles are here, and both "Heat of the Summer" and "Glance" still soar even in the context of a full record. Where Sunlight Echoes surprises is when the band tinkers with the formula of shoegaze, dream-pop if you like. "Shibuya Crossing" is as light as a feather, while "I Am No God, An Effigy" churns with early Cocteaus energy. Whitelands veer between breezy ravers like "Blankspace" and numbers where subtleties are apparent, and nuance is favored, like "Sparklebaby", a playful pairing with Emma Anderson of Lush and Sing-Sing.
So much of Sunglight Echoes succeeds in a similar manner to what we heard on Lacuna, the superb debut album from Nottingham rockers Childhood back in 2014. There was the same kind of rush, the same kind of layered sonic attack, and the same set of inspirations, I think. Whitelands, like Childhood before them, understand that it's not enough to have a bank of effects pedals; you've got to have a hook, and the good sense of knowing what to do with it. And Whitelands offer some big tunes here, with the singles positively roaring out of the speakers/headphones.
What makes Whitelands succeed where others have failed with this form is that there's a consistency in their sonic attack. There's not a single song here on Sunglight Echoes you're likely to skip, and a good many you'll want to play a few times before continuing the rest of the album's journey. The juxtaposition of the moody, richly textured sort of dream-pop we all grew up on, and a more muscular, crowd-pleasing sort of shoegaze is what fuels this record. And the product of that push-and-pull between those two styles is what makes this new Whitelands album one of the best things I've heard in ages. Prepare to have a new favorite band, folks!
Sunlight Echoes by Whitelands is out this week. Details via Sonic Cathedral.
[Photo: Edward Sogunro]