Softest Attack

Prism Shores — 2026

“Prism Shores turn jangle, noise, and power pop instincts into their most complete statement yet.”

Montreal’s Prism Shores have been putting in the work for several years now, building a buzz the right way — one record at a time, no shortcuts. The four-piece, made up of Jack MacKenzie, Ben Goss, Luke Pound, and Finn Dalbeth, had already gained some attention last year with Out From Underneath, a record that deserved more attention than it got. That one slipped past me too, and I will own that. But Softest Attack expands and doubles down. The album is rooted in indie power pop with big hooks, bright guitars, and melodies that stick whether you want them to or not. There’s no overcomplicating things here and there is no missing this one! Prism Shores know what works, they lean into it hard, and you can hear the full four-piece firing on all cylinders. Confident from start to finish, Softest Attack is easily their best record to date.

This is guitar pop rooted in the C86 era, early ’90s power pop, and Flying Nun jangle, but it feels firmly of the moment. The guitars come in layers and occasionally push into the red, yet the songs beneath stay sharp and melodic, with hooks worked in at every turn. Munro builds each track from a crunchy rhythm guitar core, then layers in Nashville tuned acoustics, organ, synths, and vocal harmonies, weaving melodies throughout rather than just stacking sound. What you get is a clear, honest recording with Prism Shores, no tricks, no filler.

Softest Attack trades some of the band’s previous hazier mood for speed and directness. The group leans harder into power pop this time, and for the first time all four members wrote and sang lyrics, which opens things up considerably. There are also actual guitar solos on this record that extend several of the tracks out but they are masterfully inserted in the mix that they don’t take over the track. They now sound like a group that knows exactly what kind of record they want to make.

This album draws from a broad mix of bands, both classic and modern, with their influence woven throughout. The Boo Radleys, Hum and Ash come to mind on the faster, noisier tracks. Teenage Fanclub, The Replacements and Sugar show up in the chorus writing. The Go Betweens and The Wedding Present surface in the more restrained, jangly moments. The New Zealand influence is real too, with The Bats and The Clean both audible in spots. Also when you think about a peer group I think that Connections, The Tubs, Good Flying Birds, and 2nd Grade are perfect groups to create a bridge between then and now.

“Kid Gloves” opens the album fast and fuzzed, as it grabs you right away. The guitars are thick but the melody cuts through. “Gossamer” is the one I keep coming back to. It is the most noise forward thing on the record and it builds in a way that feels earned. It always seems like each track might be their last. “Magical Thinking” is where the power pop side of the band really shows up but there is also a shoegaze/Dinosaur Jr. touch when the guitars rock the song up a touch. “Nothing to Find” is one that slows the tempo down some but it really sticks with its Wedding Present swagger.

Self doubt, and second guessing are the themes here. Nothing flashy, but honest and consistent. The fact that all four members are writing and singing for the first time gives the record more range than earlier releases. Other bands like Old 97s and Sloan have had success letting the entire group contribute and I think you can add Prism Shores to the list. The lyrics work best when they stay understated.

Softest Attack is the record that is finding Prism Shores hitting their creative groove. The highs are real and with each spin every track starts staying in your head a little longer. With this album especially, Prism Shores are clearly students of the indie power pop, but they have gotten to a place where the influences serve the songs rather than the other way around. Out From Underneath was a record that showed things really starting to click for Prism Shores but Softest Attack is where it all comes together!