“Wounds,” the latest single from Slow Joy, is a ragged, soul-piercing reminder that grief does not abide by the clock. Dallas-based Chicano singer-songwriter Esteban Flores, better known as Slow Joy, shares the second single from his forthcoming debut record, “A Joy So Slow At Times I Don’t Think It’s Coming,” out by May 16 via Mick Music. And by the sound of this song, we’re in for an album that doesn’t merely tug at heartstrings as it yanks them wide open.
“Wounds” hits hard, combining punk immediacy and melodic emotional resonance. Produced by alt-rock heavyweight Mike Sapone and co-written with longtime friend and OneRepublic collaborator Josh Varnadore, the track doesn’t just bear emotional weight but erupts with it. The guitars curl and crash in waves, the drums pound like a heartbeat under siege, and Flores’ voice sounds defiant and devastatingly tender.
This song is about continuing his mom’s grieving process after everyone else has moved on with their everyday lives. That line could almost brand the essence of “Wounds.” It’s the quieter, lonelier chapter, the kind of grief that sits with you after the world has moved on. The song’s accompanying music video, directed by Jay Martin, captures that emotional push and pull, visual beauty cradled in ache, motion resisting stillness. It’s not showy, and it doesn’t have to be. Like the song itself, it’s candid.
Recorded at Ghost Hit Recording in Springfield, Mass., with additional sessions at Sonic Ranch in El Paso, Tex., Slow Joy’s debut album should have plenty more of this soul-bearing honesty. Formed by 14 tracks influenced by loss, memory, and resilience, the album mixes grunge, emo, and shoegaze in a nostalgic yet brand-new way.
Stream on Spotify:
Follow Slow Joy on Spotify
