“Season Ten may have just produced some of the most melodic rock you’ll ever encounter, fusing features of pop and synth into their work.”
Cincinnati-based Art Rock Beach Punk band Season Ten brought a lot to the table on the 16th of April with their new single Subtleness – a song thats title is satisfyingly contradicted by frustration being evidently expressed within the music. In doing this, a shoe gaze synth rock sound is established, forming an individual aura of authenticity.
It’s clear a wide range of instruments were used to make this song, with complex sounds furnished already during the intro. The elements of nostalgia bring us back to the 80s and 90s, reminiscent of bands like Joy Division and Crispy Ambulance. When acquainted with the vocals, it’s more than noticeable how well they sync with the music, creating something atmospheric, or of ambience.
Frontman Jared Metz explained in detail the meaning behind the title and dug further into the lyrics, saying “Subtleness took on so many meanings toward its release. It began as an introspective take on being an overthoughtful single person just trying to make a move, but the lyrics progressed to a more cynical criticism of being in a difficult relationship I.e “you gave me all your subtle hints but maybe I don’t wanna know what’s in your head.” He then goes on to describe emotion conveyed throughout the song, noting that “Recording it I wanted to sound snippy, almost like I was about to explode with frustration. But in the end, ‘Forgive me for my Subtleness’ is repeated in succession and the song begins to sound regretful…like maybe I could have handled it differently. Either way, this song is heavily critiquing myself and how I need to change.”
Subtleness ends in true rock fashion, assimilating trance rock undertones; advancing the Indie Rock mood even further. Metz claimed he “put a lot out there with this single, and this album”, and who can argue with that? In fact Subtleness is the perfect single to advertise the upcoming album and draw listeners in prior to the release.
You can listen to the song here:
And here:
