Melancholic, Emotional, Overcoming
Slow Joy’s debut full-length album, A Joy So Slow At Times I Don’t Think It’s Coming, was released on May 16, 2025. The record establishes the Dallas-based musician, Esteban Flores, as a voice in the modern alternative scene. Produced by Mike Sapone (via Mick Music), known for his work with acts like The Front Bottoms and Oso Oso, the album blends elements of grunge, emo and shoegaze into an emotionally rich experience.
Flores began the Slow Joy project during a personal tragedy, turning to songwriting as a therapeutic outlet following the death of his mother. Encouraged by a therapist to lean into creative expression, he gained traction with emotionally raw singles like “Crawling” and “Soft Slam,” which resonated widely on TikTok and indie platforms. According to the Dallas Observer, Flores’s Mexican-American heritage plays a vital role in his artistic perspective, lending his music a deeper cultural and personal context.
“Gruesome,” a blistering lead single, fuses melodic hooks with post-punk guitar textures. The track showcases Flores’s knack for balancing his vocals between the intentional emotions he plans to evoke. It sets the tone for an album that, while rooted in personal pain, finds strength in its arrangements and moments of beauty within this song.
Tracks like “Te Amo” and “Do I Wear You Out” highlight the emotional weight that runs throughout the album. “Te Amo” floats between reverb-heavy guitars and whispered vocals, suggesting themes of love and mistaken beliefs. Meanwhile, “Do I Wear You Out” builds from hushed reflection into a distorted crescendo, mirroring the emotional volatility of heartbreak and the peak of pain.
The production by Sapone is crucial to the album’s impact and delivery. Guitars are presented in equal measure while Flores’s vocals remain haunting and in front of the mix. The musical style remains cohesive yet dynamic, with occasional detours into experimental layering that increases the drama without losing clarity of message or motif.
Lyrically, the album reads like an open diary. Lines such as “I measure time by how long I’ve missed you” and “I thought healing would come faster than this” land with stark resonance. Flores never gets overwhelmed to melodrama, instead opting for simple honesty that captures the nuances of grief and self-doubt.
According to BandWagon Magazine, Flores’s work stands out for its commitment to emotional transparency. This is evident in “Wishing Well,” a standout mid-album track that dives headfirst into existential questioning.
The album continues this motif of contrast. Songs move between lullaby-like passages and abrasive distortion, suggesting the album’s core tension between vulnerability and resilience.
Throughout A Joy So Slow At Times I Don’t Think It’s Coming, Flores suggests identity and mental health. Spin Magazine reported that the artist has become a symbol of representation for young Latinx listeners seeking visibility in the alt-rock landscape. Rather than making identity a marketing point, Flores transforms it into the album’s thematic direction and intention.
Instrumentally, the band’s sound is reminiscent of the ‘90s without being a complete copy. Fans of bands like Hum, Smashing Pumpkins and early Radiohead will find familiarity with this album. Flores updates the formula with a modern lyrical feel and digital-era sensibility that feels entirely his own.
According to KXT, Flores nearly abandoned music before finding success online. His perseverance, coupled with a clear artistic vision, makes this debut feel especially urgent. It’s a record that carries the weight of lived experience.
Slow Joy’s A Joy So Slow At Times I Don’t Think It’s Coming is a powerful debut, marked by ambition and emotional clarity. Flores delivers a work that feels as perfect for old fans as it is for new ones, crafting a soundtrack for anyone who’s wrestled with grief, identity or the long road to healing.
