Northern California quintet Soft Science returns with ‘Sand’, their fifth album, released via Shelflife Records in North America and Spinout Nuggets in the UK.. Building on the band’s signature mix of dream pop, post-punk, shoegaze, and darkwave, this record is both intimate and expansive – rooted in melody, atmosphere, and emotional depth.
Across these 10 songs, the band pairs shimmering textures with renewed urgency, delivering a dynamic and immersive record that is unmistakably Soft Science. ‘Sand’ explores the fragile, cyclical nature of love, tracing how relationships can shift beneath our feet while still offering moments of clarity, devotion, hope, and renewal.
The singles ‘Spinning’, ‘Understand’ and ‘Fade’ pair propulsive energy with ethereal vocals and luminous guitars, finding beauty in moments that inevitably slip away. ‘Spinning’ captures the frustration of being caught in a loop of recurring conversations and patterns. ‘Understand’ delivers a buoyant, Lush-infused burst of hope rooted in the healing passage of time. ‘Fade’ shifts into a more intimate yet expansive space, pairing a classic four-on-the-floor pulse with dreamy vocals and reflective lyrics about memory, change, and connection. Together, they showcase the creative blend of layered harmonies, cascading guitars, electronic textures, and hook-filled melodies that define the sound of ‘Sand’.
Lyrically, throughout ‘Sand’ runs a strong sense of being stuck in cycles: spinning, circling, repeating old patterns, trying to be heard, trying to understand what went wrong. But it’s not all bleak. The album strikes chords of tenderness and resilience, as evidenced by phrases like “there is hope for us,” “we find a way,” “let in the light” and “steady as we sway” – lyrics that create a push-pull dynamic between weariness and a stubborn belief that connection and perseverance can still produce a better tomorrow.
Soft Science features Katie Haley (lead vocals, percussion), brothers Matt Levine (lead guitar) and Ross Levine (guitar, backing vocals), partners Tony Cale (drums) and Becky Cale (bass, backing vocals), along with frequent collaborator Hans Munz (electronics). Built around ethereal vocals, twin 12-string guitars, bass, drums and synthesizers, the band creates lush, transportive songs that balance melody, harmony, and rhythm. Praised by critics, Soft Science pairs gauzy textures with restless momentum, blending dream pop, shoegaze, and indie rock into a sound that is hypnotic, melodic, and emotionally direct.
Soft Science’s latest album ‘Lines’ (2023) was preceded by ‘Maps’ (2018), ‘Detour’ (2013), and ‘Highs and Lows’ (2011), along with a split 7” with The Luxembourg Signal (2015) and The House of Love cover ‘I Don’t Know Why I Love You’ and a rendition of Northern Picture Library’s ‘Paris’ (2018).
Critically acclaimed, Soft Science has done live sessions at KEXP, WFMU and Part-Time Punks, and performed at New York Popfest, Paris Popfest, The Big Takeover’s 35th Anniversary show, Schellraiser Festival, Tremolo Fest, Dreamgaze PDX, and other festivals across the USA. Soft Science was also highlighted on Sound Opinions’ “Shoegaze Genre Dissection” as one of the hosts’ recent genre favorites (August 21, 2026, Show 1082).
With ‘Sand’, Soft Science pushes further into the noisier edges of dream pop while preserving the hooks, texture and emotive resonance at the center of their work. Examining how love, memory and identity are shaped by change, they ask what it means to stay connected in an uncertain world. ‘Sand’ stands as the band’s most focused, poignant collection to date. As Dagger Zine wrote, “Pop hooks bump up against heaving waves of sonic swirl and it all shimmers and shines in all the right places,” a fitting description of a group that continues to expand its sound without losing its melodic core.
‘Sand’ is out September 4 on CD and vinyl, with digital availability through major streaming and download platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp.
TRACK LIST
01 . Spinning
02 . Go
03 . Fade
04 . Without
05 . Sand
06 . Everything
07 . Thread
08 . Understand
09 . Hope
10 . Sway
ALBUM CREDITS
Lyrics written by Katie Haley & Ross Levine
All songs written by Katie Haley, Ross Levine, Matt Levine, Becky Cale & Tony Cale
except ‘Thread’, ‘Without’ and ‘Sway’ are written by
Katie Haley, Ross Levine, Matt Levine, Becky Cale, Tony Cale & Hanz Munz
Katie Haley – vocals, percussion
Ross Levine – backing vocals, synths, additional guitars
Matt Levine – guitar
Becky Cale – bass guitar, backing vocals
Tony Cale – drums
Hans Munz – additional electronics
Recorded at Shattered Records and The Pool House
Engineered by Jack O’Donnell
Additional Engineering by Ross Levine
Mixed by Kev Bolus at OneEleven
Mastered by Antony Ryan at RedRedPaw
Produced by Soft Science
Artwork by John Conley
c @ p Shelflife Records / Spinout Nuggets 2026
Vinyl UPC code 759159696649 / CD UPC code 759159696656
Publicity by Shauna McLarnon for Shameless Promotion PR