A crowded house party on a summer evening. The constant clamoring of voices sliding atop one another, all vying to rise above the blaring music. Within a throng of people, anxiety sets in as you stand among a plethora of guests, alone in a crowd. Conversations ebb and flow like drinks being poured, delicious in delivery. Only, you never got to see this. Instead, you were struck by a car hurtling down the street in front of the house.
Soft Top, a seven-piece group based out of Brighton, aims to convey this atmosphere, honing in on a specific series of events taking place. Through the eyes of an individual, they’re able to express contemplative feelings of existentialism and anxiety. The story that lies within the album is one of a protagonist being struck by a car on the way to a party, held between states of consciousness and alternate realities.
In addition to guitar, bass, and drums, the group also plays the clarinet and cello, giving the music an orchestral sound. Frontman Miles Goodall is accompanied by Charlie Bogg (bass/backing vocals), Oakley Flavell (cello), Owen Bullock (drums), Bobby Smyth (clarinet, synth saxophone, backing vocals), and Austin Pritchard (guitar, backing vocals).
The record begins with Into A Dream, an opener with a slow, building melody from the piano. Short guitar chords assist in submerging the listener, swathing them in its beginning. Strings gleam in the background, lending the song a tranquil atmosphere that emulates the soft dusk of a sunset. Aching Words takes on the start of the story, pulling doo-wop influences whilst also pulling inspiration from The Alessi Brothers’ Seabird. Lyrics such as “They say time heals, but sometimes it doesn’t forget” reflect on the ever-present, all-too-familiar feeling you’ve moved past a person or moment, and yet in the margins, it aches all over again once the memory resurfaces. Their initial charm stings you all over again. The record is encased within the coated bubble of the house party and the street in front. The band creates an intimate soundscape, with the warm production adding an analog touch to the record. Layla’s House “Layla’s house encapsulates this feeling perfectly, a definitive highlight. Its lyrics emphasize the disorienting, anxiety-inducing feelings reverberating around the party, which recalls Weyes Blood’s “Everyday”.A classical-sounding approach to the modern age.
Rear View Mirror is told in the third-person perspective, a shift from the other narrative-based songs, and takes hold of the tension. The listener is left watching, waiting in suspense for it to happen, waiting for the vehicle to turn around the block, straight for the character. Drowning in Shadows is more of an upbeat song, but heightens feelings of disorientation with rapid drums carrying the tempo, flanked by the clarinet. In Gathering Dust, existentialism takes the reins with the lyrics of contemplating decisions – a highlight being “moonlight licks your skin”. The build-up delivers a smooth yet wiry guitar solo that expands and builds before the natural comedown, dabbling in jazz. The Steely Dan influence on the music picks up with Paving Stones, the piano delicately hanging off every line sung by Goodall. It foreshadows the suspense of Waiting Game, pertaining to the main character’s air of suspension. They’re trapped in the liminal space between life and death. “Not Enough” leaves the story on a cliffhanger, with the protagonist reckoning with the decision to stay or pass on. The band leaves it to us as the listener to decide where the true end lies.
When I took on this album, admittedly, longer ago than deemed necessary, I was unaware of its narrative storytelling, an eccentricity I enjoy seeking out in records. It proves skills in songwriting, in the ability to craft a soundscape as well as lyrics of relatability, whilst holding steadfast the attention of the listener. I’ve admittedly taken too much time to write this review. In this, though, I find the beauty of sitting with this music. In the last few house parties I’ve been to, I can’t help but be drawn back to Gathering Dust’s upbeat, lo-fi melodies across the narrative lyricism, providing almost a debrief of the night’s events. Whilst this record was pushed back a couple of times, I’m delighted it’s finally out, showing the creative drive and promise of Soft Top.
Written by Mira Dhillon
