Scarlet Chives craft lush, introspective shoegaze from the European underground, channeling the textural density of dream pop while maintaining melodic substance. This Is Protection, released in 2014, showcases a band confident in their ability to layer guitars and production without losing sight of songwriting. "Hunting" opens with shimmering walls of guitar, while "The Rooms Are Too Small" proves they can deliver hooks beneath the wash of effects. There's genuine emotion here rather than mere aesthetic posturing, and the longer track runtimes allow compositions to develop naturally. If you loved the shoegaze of the 1990s and want contemporary artists carrying that torch with intelligence and craft, this belongs in your collection.