The Shrubs – Let Us In (2026)
The Shrubs are back with their free-wheeling new single, ‘Let Us In’. A blend of a cold haze and sunshine, where Miguel Williams’ drumming bangs and his distorted strums tear and blare through an engrossing minimal guitar melody. ‘Let Us In’, recorded with intentional tape degradation with all instrumentation played and produced by Williams, is a continuation of the band’s transition from slow core to uptempo psychedelic rock.
With its demo feel of an unpolished rhythm section, steel-ish guitar wrapping around the beat and distortion, the song has an invigorating spirit. Now, as a duo, Williams and singer Sophie Mallory move forward with a catchy, passionate tune. Williams describes the song as a piece where ”…the lyrical subject matter primarily deals with behaviour patterns and how quick we [are] prone to judging and placing people into comfortable mental labels in our minds, despite how far we may have come with overall acceptance of people with mental trauma or disorders.”
‘Let Us In’ sits in an embarrassed shame, engulfed in a cascade of adventurous music. Mallory sings full of splendour and earnestly, “Never wanna be the one/ the one you came for/ laughing as they run me through the door”. Her vocals, at the end of lines, flow out and meet a pool of guitar distortion, which blends into that bouncy rhythm, allowing the band to push the listener somewhere freeing. She continues with, “Every day, Oh every day’s an endless summer/ I’ll just let the waves take me away”, then back into that vast musical space. But with this lyric, underscored by the rhythm and Williams’ guitar blares and warm tones, that space doubles as a relatable depiction of a need to escape.
The half-joking chorus, “We’re all a little crazy/ catching my mind/ I’m doing fine”, undercuts the empathy. This bumper sticker level of empathy doesn’t show how people can connect on how social ills harm everyone’s mental health. The lack of connective imagery by the time of the wordless post-chorus doesn’t help either.
‘Let Ua In’ showcases The Shrubs’ impressive artistry, but bringing curiosity together with their skills could make them great.
Find out more about The Shrubs on their official website, Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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