Subsonic Eye and the tightly wound out indie noise rock cascading with dreaminess on "Fruitcake"

photo by Christopher Sim

It seems appropriate that you put on your seatbelt on before pushing play on "Fruitcake" by Singaporean indie noise rock band Subsonic Eye. Indie noise rock is an oversimplification. Their sound on "Fruitcake" is insanely hyper, refined, proggy with cascades dreaminess, sort of emo around the edges and even a sort of heavy twee pop vipe mixed in. Vocalist Nur Wahidah’s has a twisty, bending vocal aesthetic that feels lush and goes down easy. When the fury takes time to breathe floating in a restful bit of tropicalia, it feels divine and then ratchets up into this supremely rad knot of sound. 

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"Fruitcake" is from Subsonic Eye's third full-length album "Nature of Things", due 15 January 2021 on Middle Class Cigars. Pre-order the album now on tape and 12" vinyl: http://subsoniceye.bandcamp.com

-Robb Donker Curtius 

 

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Shedding heavy fuzz and fanfare for rawer tonality and wearied lyricism, Singaporean noise rock mainstays Subsonic Eye reinvent themselves on their third full-length release Nature of Things.

Coming to grips with their place in a strange world, the band finds refuge in confessional intimacy with a grounded palette that evokes the album’s namesake – nature – whilst pondering the toll of human indulgence.

With the instrumentation’s newfound lucidity, vocalist Nur Wahidah’s unique timbre finally finds its place in the spotlight, playing a cross between Avril Lavigne’s emo-pop sweetness and warbling, Björk-esque expressiveness. Her lyrics render a personality in flux – conflicted between a wide-eyed appreciation for nature, and a looming resignation towards the consumerist apathy around us.

The result is a cohesiveness that extends across Nature of Things’ nine tracks – a distinctive symbiosis between Wahidah’s inimitable vocal presence and the band’s long-forged chemistry. It’s a synergy that allows for innovative reverence to touchstones across the rock spectrum – from 90s’ Sonic Youth, 00s’ Life Without Buildings, to 10s’ Snail Mail.

Capturing beauty in the liminal, Nature of Things finds the band poignantly celebrating the spirits of a natural world fast disappearing. In a world that seems to be closing in, their sonic metamorphosis becomes a source of life-affirming refuge. By embracing their most immediate instincts, Subsonic Eye take their boldest steps forward.

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