Madrid’s New Wave Kill is saddling up once more, charging headfirst into new terrain from their post-punk beginnings. Felipe Vein’s guitar slices through like a sharpened blade, while Iulia Richea’s keys shimmer with cold precision. Juan Córdoba’s relentless drumbeat drives the pulse, and Nico Aguirre’s bassline rumbles low in a thundering foundation.
Their full-length debut, Stitches for the Soul, promises something bolder, reaching beyond the echoes of The Smiths, early U2, and Chameleons. This isn’t just a nod to the past—this is a full gallop into something fresh, restless, and raw. The album, born from pandemic-era isolation, finally took shape in early 2024 with the deft hand of Swedish producer Ola Ersjford (Lucifer, Tribulation) steering the ship. With a message of hope buried within their Western-inflected melodies, New Wave Kill pulls from the darkness of goth, post-punk, and neofolk.
Their sound speaks to fans of Bauhaus, Joy Division, The Cult, Nick Cave, Chelsea Wolfe, and more. It’s a call to the restless and the wounded, a dive into the brooding depths with a touch of redemption lighting the way. This band is poised to kick down doors and make their mark.
“Stitches for the Soul is the closing of a very important chapter, but it is also the beginning of a new one,” says Vein. “The songs on this album helped me through difficult times, and I hope they can help others too. We are excited to finally show our work and hit the stages hard.”
Hope opens the album like a cold wind through cracked windows, its spoken word drifting over eerie, atmospheric synths. There’s a stillness in the air, like the calm before a storm. But that storm hits with the standout track, Dancing While You Cry, a propulsive jolt of energy that rips through your veins with its compelling old-school post-punk romance. The guitar work soars, cutting sharp and clean, while Vein’s deep baritone rolls like thunder, commanding attention. His baritone voice seems to carry the weight of a thousand stories, echoing the raw, urgent sounds of The Chameleons, The Sound, and Sad Lovers and Giants. There’s a tension in the track, a push and pull between the beautiful melody and the darker undercurrents that surge just beneath. The hook sinks in deep, a refrain that stays with you, as if the song itself is still reverberating in the bones, haunting you like a cathartic heartbreak.
No Door Cage stirs up the ghost of classic gothic rock anthems from a parallel universe, sounding like a lost Nick Cave collaboration with The Mission, wrapped in the grit of a spaghetti western score. Vein’s voice, plaintive yet firm, cuts through the steady plod of the drumline, as if telling a tale that’s weathered countless storms. The guitar twangs with a sense of longing, while the chorus swells into something bigger—beautiful chorals colliding with raw emotion. It’s not a gentle rise, but an eruption, the kind that leaves you feeling the weight of every note, every breath. The song rides the line between grit and grace, between solitude and strength.
Somber and brooding, Between Shadows charges forward with sharp post-punk riffs, a brilliant and pulsating classic Anka Wolbert-style post-punk bassline, and tight snares that snap with precision. Crisp hi-hats drive the rhythm, while darkwave aesthetics blend seamlessly with baroque touches, creating a dynamic tension. The bridge tantalizes, pulling the listener deeper into its layers. The track pulses with an undercurrent of rebellion, a raw energy pushing against the surface-level world, a defiant call to those unwilling to conform or lose themselves in a sea of falsehoods.
Soft Kiss whispers with a gothic charm, its arrangement lush and tender but never overbearing. Jangling guitars ring out, airy synths drifting like a mist in the night, while a persistent tambourine taps through it all, keeping time like a heartbeat. There’s a bittersweet quality here, something soft and intimate, yet strong enough to hold its ground. It feels like a stolen moment, fleeting yet unforgettable, leaving its echo behind in the quiet spaces. It’s delicate but resolute, holding fast to its quiet power. Quemar burns with a faster, fiercer energy, charging forward with urgency, sung in their native Spanish. It’s got the raw, pulsing bite of Killing Joke mixed with Theatre of Hate. The song explodes into jagged riffs and heavy beats, only to zag into quieter, almost whispered moments. There’s tension in the way it twists and turns, moving from intensity to calm and back again.
Deepest Feelings takes its time, slower and deliberate, swinging between sorrow and exaltation, digging deep into the buried corners of the soul. It pulls at what we often keep hidden, laying bare the struggle of revealing those tender truths. The song moves like a confession, with a quiet intensity that presses against the heart’s deepest tensions. There’s a beauty in the rawness, the way it sways between the ache of vulnerability and the surge of release, capturing that fragile balance most of us hesitate to confront. It’s a slow burn, full of truth and tremor.
Run Away rolls in slow, a Western-tinged ballad heavy with ominous undertones, carried by haunting guitar work. There’s a sense of something lurking just out of sight, as Vein’s tremolo-laden voice slices through the desert air with a weight that feels ancient. The song meanders with purpose, drawing from the well of Nick Cave’s brooding intensity, a slow burn that doesn’t need to rush. Paired with Cold Night, the track leans into that same deep gravitas, tapping into something raw and untamed, echoing the harsh beauty of forgotten landscapes and lives lived on the edge of nowhere.
Your Way speaks like a sharp wind through open fields, a reminder that youth slips through our fingers faster than we expect. It urges the listener to grasp hold of life, to act on desires, and throw fear to the fire. Age may weigh heavier, but the song reaffirms the need to live boldly and independently. Straying from their usual edge, it leans on deep vocals, acoustic strums, and the mournful wail of a violin. With echoes of Chelsea Wolfe and Nick Cave, it dips into neo-folk and dark Americana, injecting new life into old bones. “The song is a trip to the past, a way to remember those moments when someone feels alive and is enjoying the moment,” says Felipe Vein. “What the song wants to convey is how these memories can be a source of inspiration and in turn, give you the strength you need in difficult times.”
New Wave Kill’s debut album, Stitches For The Soul, blends compelling old-school post-punk and gothic rock into a flawless collection of songs meant to be listened to from beginning to end.
Listen to the album via Spotify below, and order it here:
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