If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Isobel Waller-Bridge Album : Objects Quick Thoughts : Yes, it's Phoebe's sister, but don't let that overshadow what is a really gorgeous ambient soundscape. Waller-Bridge's musical history is mostly in the area of film and television scores, and this being the first proper album works really well as an cohesive piece of work. Honestly really enjoyed this, great for fans of folks like Claire Rousay. Songs of Note : "Tapes," "HZ," "Shoe," "Hoover," "Bill's Cat and Me" Artist : My Gay Banjo Album : Another World is in the Air Quick Thoughts : This made it on a friend's best-of playlist and I kind of fell in love with it. It's a quirky little folk record that openly borrows from countless classics and yet still feels fresh and unique. One of the more intriguing listens of the year, honestly, and deserves some attention. Songs of Note : "Staying Queer," "Drive Away," ...

Photo by Crispin Tan As great as everything Subsonic Eye has released is, there's just something a little extra magical about the Singapore band's latest single. "Being Productive" is a lovely little jangly mess of a song. It has this shoegaze meets The Sundays sort of sound to it, and it's a little bit noisy and a little bit beautiful. There's also a sense of chaos in the song you don't normally hear in jangle pop, but that's kind of what makes "Being Productive" work so well. The guitar can be a little too grating, but amping up your anxiety is kind of what the song is about. As a listener, as the song goes on you sometimes feel like you're being pulled in two different directions, which fits the theme perfectly. Vocalist Nur Wahidah says of the band's latest single: "This idea of 'being productive' has always been challenging for me. When I was unemployed, and I was doing the things that I love in my free time (which w...

Photo by Crispin Tan Singapore's Subsonic Eye have quietly become one of the finest indie rock/jangle pop bands out there today. Their latest single, "My iPhone Screen," has that perfect mix of upbeat, poppy energy with indie rock fuzz throughout. The song does delve into the emo side of things a bit, but in the way that a band like Superchunk can be described as emo. They also add in an interesting little hardcore style breakdown towards the end, but a jangle pop version of that. "My iPhone Screen" is a truly fun single that is perfect for fans of classic indie rock, and possibly vintage emo. Subsonic Eye have once again outdone themselves. Vocalist Nur Wahidah says of the band's latest single: "The idea of my identity staying static on the internet was scaring me. I hate how permanent my identity felt like on social media, and how no matter how I may fight it, I will always be constructing an identity to be approved online. I think my living experienc...

Photo by Crispin Tan Singapore's Subsonic Eye are back with a new single that shows off why we love them so much. "Aku Cemas" shows a heavier side of the dream pop genre. It's jangly and completely fuzzed out, while also displaying a sense of pop songwriting. It's catchy as can be, even if you don't understand the lyrics. There are even some Sonic Youth style guitars throughout, even if it's the softer side of that style. Subsonic Eye have been making some wonderfully compelling indie rock for a while now, and it's great to see that fact hasn't changed. "Aku Cemas" is classic style indie rock updated for modern sensibilities.  Vocalist Nur Wahidah says of the band's latest single: "When I was unemployed for a couple of months, I was feeling this restless feeling. I couldn't sit still but it felt like I had to. I would apply for 20 jobs a day and go back to watching movies on my laptop. It was a funny feeling - I finally had t...

Photo by Christopher Sim Singapore's Subsonic Eye continue making some of the most compelling indie rock out there. Their latest single, "J-O-B," is an indie rock song that is just as bouncy and fun as it is noisy. It's reminding me of the more mainstream side of Dinosaur Jr meets The Beths. It's filled with jangly and fuzzed out guitars that drive you straight through the song. "J-O-B" is the kind of song that is much more poppy than it has any right to be, and sounds like it's straight out of the 90's. Subsonic Eye have gifted us one of the most dreamy songs of the year, and we couldn't be more excited. Nur Wahidah says of the band's new song: "I was (and still am) so completely frustrated with finding a job I care about. I hate it when people ask 'what are you up to these days?' and I feel the pressure to talk about a job listing I read up on last week, or an email I'm waiting for. I hate talking about it, I need a ful...

Photo by Christopher Sim Singapore's Subsonic Eye get compared to Sonic Youth a lot, but their latest single moves away from that sound quite a bit. "Yearning" may share some of the legendary post-punk group's guitar tunings, but the song is much lighter and poppy than anything Sonic Youth ever did. There are some elements of shoegaze and dream pop in "Yearning," but the song is mostly an alt-rock power pop song, and a fantastic one at that. It's such an engaging and delightful song that sucks you in immediately, and as soon as it's done it leaves you desperate for more. Nur Wahidah says of the band's new song: "In the past few years, opening my mind up to the little things around me allowed me to get closer with nature and myself. I felt like as I learnt more about my relationship with nature, the love I felt for my loved ones grew deeper (and vice versa). I feel that my love for nature (and myself) started to parallel the love I have for m...

Hailing from Singapore, Subsonic Eye have released a new song that sounds like what Sonic Youth would sound like if they decided to go poppy. "Hurt Your Head" has the same noisy and dark guitar tones that Sonic Youth built a career on, and at times the same breakneck sound. But this song is much more upbeat than anything Kim, Thurston, Steve, and Lee ever released together. This is all of the noise, but "Hurt Your Head" is cheery sounding and fun. There is a hint of menace in the song, but it's a fun, non-threatening aggression and menace. I don't know how anyone could pull this off, but Subsonic Eye do an amazing job with is. Daniel Borces says of the band's new song: "Even though Singapore is filled with colour and nature I always feel a sense of detachment from how it truly is, and that makes it difficult for me to feel peaceful. I don’t know if it’s just my internal life conflicting with my immediate surroundings, but the constant construction, ...