Subtle, ExitingARM, Lex
If you haven’t heard of San Francisco sextet Subtle, that’s okay—frontman Doseone is fully aware. In a recent interview, he commented on the low sales of the band’s last single (“The Mercury Craze”) by saying that, “It’s just a window you throw shit at. Whether we get through doesn’t matter.”
Don’t let Doseone’s cavalier attitude fool you—he’d like you to pick up his new record, ExitingARM. Subtle, unlike most contemporary hip-hop projects, has a knack for producing content that’s as meticulous as their music, often blurring the boundaries of the genre in the process. And they deserve your attention.
Subtle’s oeuvre is a trilogy of sorts, beginning with the band’s 2004 debut, A New White and ending with the newest release. Throughout the series, Doseone spins the story of “Hour Hero Yes,” a protagonist/rapper who inhabits a dark, surreal world. The concept is ambitious, though not necessarily unique—other groups, like Coheed & Cambria, have attempted similar projects.
Still, Doseone often goes beyond the call of artistic investment. He even posted a 20,000 word “almanac” online (ExitingARM.com) to serve as an outline for the epic.
“Who would go read the 20,000 words? I don’t know,” he said. “It’s supposed to be a time capsule sort of thing.”
For the short term, though, Subtle has adopted a more palatable sound. The first half of ExitingARM is surprisingly tame, substituting the stark textures of the group’s older work for more simplistic melodies. The title track foreshadows what’s to come in the following tracks: a wash of synths and beats that don’t really amount to much.
Fortunately, the second half of the album invokes a similar level of experimentalism as the trilogy’s first two installments, with stronger hooks and instrumentation on “Gonebones” and “Providence.” “Wanted Found” also appropriates the string melody from “Middleclass Kill” (off of the trilogy’s second release, for hero :: for fool), providing a sense of cohesiveness to the trilogy.
ExitingARM as whole, though, represents a gamble on Subtle’s part. They’ve seemingly restrained their sound to rope in more listeners, at the expense of some of their more substantive content. Not that I can blame Doseone (see: Subtle album sales), but I get the sense that ultimately no one’s happy here: the songs aren’t poppy enough for mass appeal and will likely disappoint former enthusiasts.
But don’t rely on me. Ask your kids in about 20 years. That seems to be who Doseone’s gunning for anyway.
Voice’s Choices: “Providence,” “Gonebones,” “Hollow Hollered”
