The Subtheory is a band that creates sophisticated, melodically beautiful, artistically satisfying, and sonically intensive trip-hop with a psychedelic aura.
The Subtheory – Shark Tank
The album ”Shark Tank” is not an easy-listening feel-good album for the weak at heart to play at baby showers (or for the crying babies at bedtime), conventional weddings or sweet sugar rush-fueled road trips in ripped denim shorts next to LA skyline but hey. The album title gives a warning about it so put your headphones on – if you dare – and dive in. I promise it will be rewarding – for the maximum effect let go of everything you think you know about dark trip-hop (or music in general as it happens), because the band – a brainchild of a DJ and producer Andy Hill – is far from conventional. Members – Cate Debu as the main vocalist, Pat Scott as the lead guitarist, Andy Hill and George Lambourne as composers and the latter also on bass – deserve to be credited individually for their musicianship, playing par excellence and Debu for the sultry yet spooky, gorgeous vocals.
”Shark Tank” kicks in with a great choice as the first – a beautiful ”All Other Things Can Wait” has a neat (synth-) drum pattern, amazing bassline and haunting vocals that won’t let you sleep at night as they’ll stick to your head like liquorice bubblegum – and as a whole, it reminds me a lot of Massive Attack’s ”Mezzanine” album’s finest moments the best possible way without being one bit copy-catting, the song stands on its own with or without the external references. ”Cut To Black” on the other hand, appears to be in perfect juxtaposition with the first song – its hopeful melody, killer lead guitar and rhythm section, brilliant background ambience, great production, surprising and uplifting, a comforting bridge made me so ready to dive deeper in the Shark Tank and these two songs had already convinced me about the artistic and musical ”premise” and merits of the album – I was bought and sold and then discarded in the ”lost and found music journalists”-bin because the unapologetic journey with The Subtheory already felt like a reversed black-and-white Alice in Wonderland-trip, which I could almost see and loved every moment of.
Cate Debu also delivers vocally on ”Crown of Thorns” which is artistically the most interesting piece. The lyrics whisk me to a completely different time-space-wormhole which is buzzing with thorns from white roses that bleed. The album is very stylish, and well-thought-through and showcases almost like its beautiful own alien ecosystem somewhere in a place called ”sonically far out”. When Debu hits the first high notes on ”Fine Tune” I am in love with the band – it really is a fine, probably the best song of the whole album in all its stripped-down simplicity not because of what it lacks, but what it has. Let me break this down for you – a great song can survive on its own with very little when it is conducted with a vision. I love the composition as well as the lead vocals – even the long silent humming by Debu is chill-worthy. The song keeps on growing exponentially until it’s suddenly over and ready to be put on repeat.
”Lo Squalo” is a short rock-fueled instrumental with cool ambient noise leading to ”The Sicilian Defense” (featuring Emma Hunter) where masterful rapping (!) gets combined with soulful vocals on the chorus – at one point they remind me of the magic by Björk with the same kind of a phrasing choice. Little things like these – details, oddities, perhaps subconscious references, create a universe by the band which one cannot possibly ”get” during the first listening therefore this album needs time to open up and reveal its spirit, a layer by layer it unfolds almost like a fresh lotus flower resulting higher understanding and lucid dreams. As exciting as this album is, it gets even more ”academic” in ”Apotropaic” which is – nothing less, nothing more – than a concept song about protective magic against dark powers that has some beautifully written parts musically and interestingly a bit off-tuned keyboard. I can almost imagine how someone on her deathbed is whispering this in the ancient language of angels and devils and in context it is not just a cool, unexpected and refined artistic choice considering the album’s sonic ambience but also proof of the band’s ”intuition”. – ”These people really know what they’re doing”, I kept thinking (not maybe the finest quote to print or embroider on their merch but it is TRUE) – in its own realm, this album is pure alternative indie-gold.
It is a tight race between ”Sophistry” and the previously mentioned ”Fine Tune” for my own favourites but let’s face it, the album is a complete artwork where none of the individual parts could survive as perfectly as they do when combined with each other. In ”Sophistry” the keyboard intro leads to almost weeping, silently crying Debu’s vocals and the arrangement with strings also carries probably the most beautiful guitar bit of the album, like the guitar would be an extension of the guitarist Pat Scott’s own mournful emotions – a perfect example of how classy the band is. This isn’t a solo project for all of them, this is a band who play well and have a tasteful approach of not doing more than each of the songs ” needs”. Without that vision, pure artistry, this could have been a chaotic place with no way out for the listeners, but ”Shark Tank” doesn’t kill or confuse me, and the musically challenging adventure reaches its katharsis in ”The Wolf In The Fairytale” which I am almost terrified of per its sonic atmosphere and the very intensive soundscape – the lyrical brilliance of ”Shark Tank” may in fact be easiest to begin understanding by just examining the titles of this 45 minutes 25 seconds long ”niche” album that has all the potential of becoming classic later.
”The Subtheory’s new album Shark Tank is both the Rubik’s Cube and the Holy Grail of alternative new trip-hop.”
Discover more by The Subtheory:
Discover more on Right Chord Music
- The Subtheory Tug Heartstrings On New Track ‘Crown Of Thorns’
- The Subtheory Crown Of Thorns on Right Chord Music
- KRANKK Join Forces With PORCELAIN For The Sublime ‘Free’
- Complete The Musicians Census 2024 & Win Musosoup Promo
- The Spotify Popularity Index Chart
Words Leena Mertanen
