GIFT

Based in Brooklyn, GIFT emerged in New York around the turn of the 2020s in the wake of the local shoegaze and psych scenes. GIFT’s music blends dream pop, psychedelic rock and a krautrock pulse, featuring layered guitars, vocals often sunk into the mix, and melodic songwriting that stays close to pop while retaining a more hypnotic edge. After an initial run of singles, GIFT released its debut album, Momentary Presence, in 2022 on Dedstrange — a record that defines the project’s contours between motoric repetition, misty atmospheres and relatively direct song formats. Since then GIFT has circulated through indie and psych stages, working in a register where rhythmic tension, airy textures and hazy choruses coexist with a more immersive approach to contemporary alternative rock.