News
11 October 2026 – Semaphore Release Despite What You Say and Give Brooklyn Shoegaze Some Serious Muscle
By Editorial Team - October 11, 2026
Summary
Brooklyn alternative-rock band Semaphore release their eleven-track album Despite What You Say through Candlepin Records, blending shoegaze and post-hardcore weight.
Key Facts
- Semaphore release 11-track album Despite What You Say on Candlepin Records.
- Recorded at Brooklyn Recording Paradise and mastered at Timber Studios.
- Fuses melodic shoegaze textures with heavy post-hardcore aggression.
- Entities: Semaphore, Despite What You Say, Candlepin Records, Brian DiMeglio, Adam Cichocki, Brooklyn, Drug Church
- Tags: semaphore, despite-what-you-say, candlepin-records, shoegaze, alternative-rock, post-hardcore, brooklyn
Brooklyn alternative-rock band Semaphore release their eleven-track album Despite What You Say today through Candlepin Records, bringing together shoegaze atmosphere, melodic alternative rock and the muscular intensity of post-hardcore.
Recorded and mixed by Brian DiMeglio at Brooklyn Recording Paradise and mastered by Adam Cichocki at Timber Studios, the album represents another stage in the group's exploration of heavy guitar music that remains emotionally accessible. Earlier single "Bunny" introduced the record's direction, combining dense distortion with strong melodic hooks and a sense of tension that recalls the more aggressive side of contemporary shoegaze.
The complete album includes "I Hate to Shatter Your Ego," "Congratulations," "Raptured," "Break It Off," "Quietly" and the wonderfully confrontational "You Think You're Tony Fucking Soprano." The final track, "I Can't Promise to Keep All Your Secrets," suggests the band have not suddenly developed an enthusiasm for cheerful lyrical subjects.
Semaphore's sound occupies an increasingly popular space between alternative rock and heavier underground music, where the atmospheric guitar textures associated with shoegaze coexist with rhythms capable of shaking considerably more than the furniture. The record should appeal to listeners interested in bands such as Drug Church, Chokecherry and The Joy Formidable. Despite What You Say demonstrates that beautiful guitar music does not necessarily have to be polite.