Crushed Elicit Deep Emotions with Beguiling Mix of Confessional Lyrics and Hazy Atmospherics
Photo Credit: Ben Rayner
With its lowercase styling and arcane spelling, “cwtch”—one of the highlights of Crushed’s great new album “no scope”—may seem at first glance to be a masterclass in obliqueness and opacity.
But the track is songwriting at its most vulnerable and candid—a fearless glimpse into the backstory of Crushed songwriter Shaun Durkan, who makes up one-half of the alt-rock duo alongside Bre Morell. Durkan, a Bay Area native, has long been open about his struggles with substance abuse, and “cwtch” is a tormented glimpse into the mind of an addict, punctuated by powerful lines like “I took the pills you gave to me/And now you live inside my spine.”
It's a powerful statement and one that’s almost painfully earnest. Nevertheless, Durkan said he had few concerns with publicly baring his heart on sleeve—he was merely continuing in the tradition of other musicians he’s long admired.
“When I can tell someone's opening up and they're having a conversation with me about something they're struggling with—I feel so much more invested in that song,” said Durkan. “All my favorite artists do that—those are the ones that I’m drawn to, because I can relate.”
Crushed, who will open for indie-pop outfit Cafuné on Wednesday at Bimbo’s 365 Club, have earned widespread plaudits for their interpretation of a unique blend of styles not typically associated with hipster circles. Their love of 90s alt rock artists like Duncan Sheik and Natalie Imbruglia is clearly evident in their sound, as is their appreciation for trip-hop artists such as Massive Attack and Portishead. But above all, Crushed embrace the confessional genre, as both Durkan and Morell pour their hearts out completely on “no scope,” a gorgeous and haunting album of lovelorn ballads and diaristic revelations.
“I think we both try to be as honest as possible,” said Durkan. “For me, if anyone can learn something, or feel like they’re not alone, by listening to something that I’ve gone though, then I feel like that’s a huge win for both of us. For me, and the listener.”
Durkan, who’s also the founder of Bay Area post-punk greats Weekend, first connected with Morell (a member of indie goth band Temple of Angels) over Twitter, as both publicly confessed their appreciation of 90s radio rock. That online communication quickly turned into a creative partnership, and the band’s 2023 debut EP, “extra life,” was a surprise hit, given that both members of the group had limited expectations for the project.
With glowing critical reviews and a string of well-attended live shows, the duo emerged on the radar of the music industry, and Crushed eventually signed with Ghostly International, a revered indie label that leans toward electronica-focused artists. Durkan conceded that making the follow-up to “extra life” had a different feel, as the band’s higher profile meant that there were new expectations for the group.
“I would be lying if I said that there wasn’t additional pressure,” said Durkan. “It’s a very different experience when you’re making something that you don’t ever expect anyone to hear versus creating something with the intention of people hearing it. That being said, we tried not to let that guide our decision making. I think one of the biggest lessons we learned from our first EP is that it really pays to trust your instincts. Audiences pick up on that, even if they don’t know necessarily what they’re picking up on. It just resonates because it feels authentic.”
Much like the first release, “no scope” is drenched with atmosphere, as swirling guitars, spectral samples and ambient soundscapes create a rich, textured feel to every song. Tracks like “starburn,” “weaponx,” and “heartcontainer” showcase the band’s ability to meld woozy, hypnotic beats with lyrics and narratives that pierce through that haze. Like Durkan, Morell is unafraid to pen lines that are desperately plaintive, highlighted by the opening couplet of “heartcontainer,” when she mournfully laments that “I’m on my knees/ I’m crying for you.”
Spoken word vignettes are interspersed throughout the album, acting as palate cleansers, with the final coda—“airgap 2”—feeling like the final moment before one emerges from a deep, dreamy sleep.
Despite their relatively new partnership, there is clearly a kinship and chemistry between Morrel and Durkan. During a recent interview with New Musical Express, Morrell described being brought to tears by a melody that Durkan wrote that eventually turned into “starburn,” the group’s lead single and one of the last songs recorded for the album.
“It felt like an honor to hear her say something like that,” said Durkan. “I guess sometimes when you’re in a band, it feels like some of this stuff exists in a vacuum and it’s not until you talk to someone that you realize how this music might have affected them. It definitely makes it worthwhile.”
Eliciting those emotions is clearly something Crushed specializes in—and the band doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Durkan said he wrote some 40 songs for the debut LP, so there is plenty of material to work with, and the band has plans to embark on some headlining tours after their current jaunt opening for Cafuné concludes at the end of the month. In short, there should be plenty of future opportunities for fans to bask in the cathartic, connective manner that first inspired Durkan and Morell to start this project.
“We both write very personal lyrics, but it’s not just the words that make it special,” said Durkan. “I mean, that’s why we love doing this and why we feel so inspired. There’s something about the words and music being paired together that makes it magical. It’s like the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
Show Details:
Crushed with Cafuné
Where: Bimbo’s 365 Club
When: 8 p.m., Wednesday, October 8
Tickets: $35, available here.