SUBTLE, EFTERKLANG, SLARAFFENLAND
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Over the course of three albums and multiple EPs and remix collections, Subtle has eked out a specific, dynamic musical corner to themselves. While rooted in hiphop, their sound wouldn’t be what it is without the propulsive drumming and textured drones that recur throughout their discography. They’ve collaborated with musicians ranging from Why?’s Yoni Wolf to the German avant-pop group the Notwist, and their core sound is such that neither seems out of place. Their upcoming ExitingARM fuses densely delivered lyrics, overlapping melodies, and guitar lines that spark. It’s an album whose intellectual ambitions are entirely in line with its pop sensibility, and the result is a collection of richly textured songs with an unrelenting backbeat. TOBIAS CARROLL

MP3:
Subtle - Unlikely Rock Shock