In an era dominated by a drive to produce the fastest, grooviest and most danceable tunes, Bengaluru based electro-rock outfit, Signal W takes a different approach to dazzle our senses. Formed in 2017, the group quickly grew its fanbase after performing at a few venues and releasing a few singles. Their sound features a unique blend of alt-rock, electronic music and elements of dream pop. The band presents us with an incredibly polished and seductive batch of six tracks on their eponymous debut EP.
The EP stands out in the current scene due to its fusion of shoegaze and dreamy, synth-heavy production. The lo-fi and glitchy production gives it an authentic and emotionally vulnerable sheen. This is especially evident in the song, ‘Meh’ which features eccentric and pulsating sound effects towards the end. Thematically, the EP features common themes of ennui, introspection and unrequited love. However, these themes are presented in a dreamy and abstract fashion, taking inspiration from the lyricism of Thom Yorke, which is accentuated by the lead vocalist’s infectious falsetto which soars over the layered synthscape. This complexity is only compounded by the psychedelic bass-drum patterns with shifting time signatures peppered throughout the EP, especially on the opener, ‘Do You?’.
The EP is nothing short of an ethereal experience from start to finish. Every aspect of the instrumentation is carefully arranged and layered with obsessive attention to detail. The tracks blend into each other to create a lush and cohesive soundscape.
