GENRE: Rock

LABEL: Escho

REVIEWED: 5 October, 2025

RATING: 7.2/10

Snuggle’s debut full-length Goodbyehouse arrives as a soft, insistent whisper that slowly registers as something sharper underneath — part shoegaze haze, part intimate indie confession. The Copenhagen duo (Andrea Thuesen Johansen and Vilhelm Tiburtz Strange) released the record in September 2025 on Danish label Escho; the band handle most of the writing and production themselves, with a bit of extra production and mixing help on the lead single “Sun Tan.” 

Sonically the record trades in textured guitar reverb, low-key drum machine shuffles and warm, distant synths — but what keeps the songs from floating away is Johansen’s voice: measured, conversational and quietly confessional. The arrangement choices often push fragile lyrics into something more cinematic rather than overwrought; moments like the brittle chorus of “Sticks” or the dreamy swirl of “Dust” pair tactile emotional lines with a production that deliberately holds the emotion at arm’s length. That balancing act — prettiness that still admits pain — is a recurring strength across the album. 

The tracklist is compact and immediate: opener “Sun Tan” sets a sun-bleached tone, while “Woman Lake,” “Driving Me Crazy” and the title track land shorter, sharp bursts that prevent the pacing from becoming soporific. The band shows a knack for melody and memorable hooks without sacrificing the overall mood of wistful unease; at about ten songs and roughly half an hour, the album leaves you wanting more while also feeling complete. (See the full tracklist on streaming platforms.) 

Lyrically the record is preoccupied with departures — lost homes, relationships at the hinge of change, that weird mix of grief and relief that comes with moving on. Interviews and press around the release point to personal transitions and “separation anxiety” as creative fuel, which helps explain the album’s tension between nostalgia and small, hopeful fractures of light. The result is an emotionally coherent debut that often reads like someone packing away a life but lingering at each item. 

If there’s anything to critique, it’s that the band sometimes gets so comfortable in their aesthetic that a couple of songs blend a little too seamlessly into the overall wash; a bolder production choice on one or two cuts might have pushed the record from “very good” to “unforgettable.” Still, when the hooks land — especially on “Dust” and “Playthings” — Snuggle reveal the design of a band with a clear voice and an appetite for nuance. Early reviews and community chatter have been positive, and the album is already surfacing in indie playlists and conversations. 

Goodbyehouse is a warm, melancholy debut that rewards attentive listening. It’s perfect for late-afternoon drives, quiet apartment windowsill reveries, or whenever you need music that acknowledges hurt without wallowing in it. If you like modern dream pop that remembers its alt-rock roots — think lovelorn melodies wrapped in textured production — this one is worth a close listen.