10 Modern Slowcore Jams for Quiet Evenings

When you want to relax, concentrate or dwell on the past, slowcore offers the perfect backdrop for bleak autumn evenings. While the genre has been around since the 80s, slowcore found a new life in the 2020s when artists started sharing their quiet, subdued tracks on Spotify and Soundcloud. Most of these tracks are calming, but a few stretch the genre to its limits, showing that even the quietest songs have something to say.

1. Better by sign crushes motorist

sign crushes motorist, Liam McCay's slowcore project, made a splash in 2022 with I'll Be Okay. This album includes "Better," which makes the most out of its short running time with murmured vocals and a quiet, steady beat that lulls you into a relaxed state. This record also includes a slowcore cover of Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night"--a fusion that works surprisingly well.

2. Blue-Eyes White Dragon by link3

"Blue-Eyes White Dragon" is the result of a collaboration between link3, sign crushes motorist and r0w_na. Low-fi production, hushed vocals and a dreamy, ethereal vibe give this track an angelic tone that almost becomes transcendent. James Barry, the artist behind link3, included this song on the project's 2022 release: 2020 - 2022 demo.

3. Ww by Other Nothing

In 2019, German Error Message's Paul Kintzing released Not Songs, the first album for his project Other Nothing. He dedicated this album to his late friend Shaun Hall, who developed the album's cover art. "Ww," a track that lasts less than two minutes, sweeps you into an intense soundscape that--to me, at least--captures the feeling of standing outside with traffic rushing around you.

4. the day you left by les

"the day you left," a 2024 collaboration between les and forlorn, ominously states in its SoundCloud description: "not recommended for listening if you have suicidal thoughts." Sure enough, the comments are full of mournful statements, such as "Why didn't you choose me?" and "I love you. I dream about you." The track itself combines somber, dreamy music with a mysterious recording of a woman's voice, leaving you to draw your own conclusions.

5. Soap by hold

"Soap" comes from hold's 2025 album, 10x. I couldn't find much information about this artist who's almost impossible to Google, but "Soap" offers a dreary tune and intense yearning that practically speaks for itself. As the lyrics lament, "Will I ever be the first one, not someone еlse's shame," it's difficult to think about anything but love that ended in heartache.

6. punch by fairies in our house

"punch," the first song on fairies in our house's 2022 self-titled EP, tells the story of angst, shame and repressed rage. After the narrator fantasizes about attacking his lover's boyfriend, he claims, "I can make you feel" before wondering why the object of his affections won't return his desires. Some listeners might dismiss this as teenage angst; for others, it's a near-universal life experience.

7. i will find you in another life by hayds

After a buzzing intro, "i will find you in another life" dives into intense feelings of sorrow, loss and longing, making this one of hayds' most popular Spotify tracks. Distorted vocals add an eerie quality to this song, which comes from hayds' 2024 release, Why Brad Ranaway. I don't know who's depicted in the album cover, but his face is equally haunting.

8. telephones by porch panic attack

"telephones," a 2024 single from porch panic attack, blends whispered vocals, murmuring instrumentals and lo-fi production to give this track a distinctly haunting quality. Occasional cracks in the audio make you feel like you're watching the artist perform live from their own attic on a warm summer evening. Rugged and gritty, "telephones" is a glimpse at the unpolished side of slowcore.

9. Weeping Willow by Godshelter

Godshelter arrived on the scene in 2023 with their self-titled album, which includes "Weeping Willow," a track that's a little bolder than your typical slowcore recording. After a quiet intro, the song dissolves into shouted vocals, distorted music and a buzzing sense of chaos that makes you rethink the genre entirely. Forget about relaxing: this song is here to vent some internal anguish.

10. as that kid flew... by Argo Nuff

"as that kid flew...", a track from Argo Nuff's 2021 record, annebolyn deluxe*, weaves delicate, mournful instrumentals with a quiet recording that discusses the joys of flying--and the pain of "having to come back down to the fucking world." Sad and haunting, this track seems to convey a feeling of pain and loss that's almost too heavy for words.

Are you a slowcore fan? Which slowcore tracks are your favorite? Let me know in the comments.