Characterized by melodies of sheer melancholy, the slowcore genre was born from a rebellion against the traditional intensity and aggression of grunge music. Although we could discuss the highs and lows of slowcore for hours, few bands have achieved such timeless success within the genre as Duster. 

Have you never listened to Duster before and are too lazy to scan the Spotify code? No worries, I have taken it upon myself to describe the experience. Have you ever hit shuffle to instantly have your eardrums bathed in the most depressing sounds known to man? No? Well, you’re about to.

“Constellation” – Duster 

Yeah, we get it your dog died two Decembers ago and “Stratosphere” was the only album you listened to. OK, OK, I know, but this song makes me feel absolutely gutted, like the Old Testament, somebody tied me to a rock and cut me open. Anyway, if I don’t listen to this song once a day, I think it will instigate the rapture. 

“Me and the Birds” – Duster

This song makes me crave a cigarette, and I don’t even smoke. Every time this song comes on, I literally feel like I am one and the same as an angsty teen character played by Joseph Gordon Levitt in the early 2000s whose only aspiration is to leave their small Midwestern town. Anyhow, this is another banger that will be on repeat until I am resting six feet under. 

“Retrograde” – Duster 

Whenever I hear this song, I get weirdly nostalgic for when I was reading “Dracula.” Actually, now that I think about it, I would only listen to this song on repeat whenever I read anything last quarter. Huh. I can’t say I remember why I behaved like that other than this song being a certified banger. 

“Stars Will Fall” – Duster 

Once, when I was in the car with my brother, I played this song for him, and he just did not get it. There was no melancholy or staring longingly out the window, only “this is garbage” and “does he [Clay Parton] purposefully make himself sound like he’s on his deathbed.” Needless to say, some people are just born without taste.

“Topical Solution”

I had another “Duster” filled December and “Topical Solution” was easily my most played song over break. I’m telling you, the vibes this song created alongside reading books centered on Kansas in the ‘90s were immaculate. Anyways if you are looking for a depressing ambiance, this song, alongside the entirety of “Stratosphere,” is for you.