Review: Softspoken "Sleight of Hand"
The waters surrounding Cincinnati area based hard rock outfit Softspoken must be laced with intense passions from hardcore/emo past because the band is seething from the pores with that classic sonic vibe in their newest track “Sleight of Hand”. Drawing from a wide range of influences, including Oceana, Saosin, Northlane, and Lower Definition, the band set their ambitious sights with producer Andrew Baylis (Picturesque, Outline in Color, VRSTY), who in the band's own words "was great at recognizing the sound we wanted and also helping us shape it into something bigger and better." There's a mature edge, a noticeable departure from earlier material, as the band utilizes a polished modern key/synth-laden driving arpeggio throughout. The band fought hard for a more aggressive, albeit more personal, approach with their latest single showing the raw emotion beneath their exteriors.
“Sleight of Hand” starts with a radiant, bouncing synth-like riff that drags us by the boots into the depths, straight into a buzzsaw as the song slices right through with a chugging breakdown-esque riff, contrasting against the bubbling beeps and boops. It relishes in the mesmeric balance between dichotomies, the duality you find in post-hardcore music performed with rhytmic tightness. The track takes subdued approaches for the verses, as the vocalist delivers these RnB soft croons, pleading his case and wearing his heart on his sleeve. The melodic chorus, with its soaring guitar leads and bombastic bass drops, feel right at home with the vocalist in his outpouring of brazen emotion. Guitarists Chris Wethington/Billy Zimpelman share a rich, crystal clear tone on the guitars, whether it be the razorwire plucking of strings or chord strumming that pierces through the mix like a crystalized dagger.
When reached for comment, vocalist Sam Scheuer had this to say. "Lyrically, “Sleight of Hand” is about being honest and transparent from the start. It's inspired by a conversation I had with my now fiance when we first started dating. I'm in a band, and on the outside it can seem like this amazing, larger-than-life thing, but the truth of the matter is that this band grinds hard. We don't live luxurious lives. We're not selling out stadiums. We have weeks where we're on tour (pre-covid), or in the studio; or days where I can't even give 5% of myself to someone else because all of my energy is going into this passion. So rather than downplay that, I wanted to be honest. Like, you might be hooked on me because of your initial impression, but here's what's inside, and here's what you can expect. I think it's kind of common to show the best part of yourself and hide away the things that others might judge you for. But, really, it can be relieving and healthy to just be honest with yourself and others."
The song is chock-full full of catchy, poppy hooks and ethereal melodies that compliment it's harmoniously grandiose nature. It's interesting to see the band deliver what on the surface could be seen as a hard rock pop song, but with the delivery of visceral gutturals that shred through the angelic wall of sound. The band displays bravery to stay true to their roots maintaining their hard edge making the time to go on a full on metalcore-like breakdown with full stops and bass bubbling in your ear.
Objectively speaking, Softspoken isn't reinventing the wheel here, but the meticulous delivery of expert precision and a production polish that some major label bands can't even boast about, there is plenty to sink your teeth into. The music video for "Sleight Of Hand" premiered on Dreambound on October 9th, with an accumulation of nearly 20,000 streams in that short time, releasing everywhere else October 16th. With promises of new singles and possibly some covers, the rest of 2020 and 2021 are looking to be a good time for Softspoken fans.