2024 was another fertile year for shoegaze. As the fuzzy genre thrives, it’s hard not to notice the influence controversial band Whirr has over it, especially for TikTok viral artists like Wisp or flyingfish. Despite being canceled in 2015 for transphobic comments and general bullying online, Whirr remain a revered act. Today, they’re back with the surprise album Raw Blue.

In May, frequent Stereogum contributor and certified shoegaze expert Eli Enis published a lengthy interview with the group’s Nick Bassett, in which he addressed the tumultuous past head-on: “I sincerely apologize that we let that shit get out of hand and it could affect anybody’s life in any real way,” he said.

It seems like their reach has only intensified since they were dropped from their label and faded into reclusiveness; in 2019, they quietly shared the fantastic LP Feels Like You on Bandcamp and quickly sold out of vinyl (many were resold online for hundreds of dollars). Raw Blue is a wonderful extension of their hypnotic, crashing sound. Listen below.