Paul McCartney witnessed John Lennon singing onstage in Liverpool, John Illsley found guitarist Mark Knopfler sleeping on the floor of an apartment, and Jimmy Page encountered John Paul Jones in a recording studio, pencilling him as a potential bassist for Led Zeppelin. Bandmates come across one another in the most inauspicious of circumstances, leading me to the next group, Sub*T, who developed a friendship over the most modern of modes: the Internet.
Oddly, How My Own Voice Sounds is rooted in 1970’s rock; whatever technological interests are left outside of the vinyl. “Imaginal Cells” is a gritty power ballad, energized by reverb, riotous vocals and John Bonham-esque drums. Bandleaders Grace Bennett and Jade Alcantara lead the charge; How My Own Voice Sounds is lit by a military backbeat and energy.
“Sister Species” utilizes swampy production effects to evoke claustrophobic nausea, paving the way for an alternative take on the same track that is brighter, bouncier, and poppier. Bennett and Alcantara duet on “Overcomplicated”, a pub sing-along admittedly rooted in Iggy Pop & the Stooges that accentuates the bass guitar in the mix. A bold choice, though the voices glide together in a dreamy style that draws the listener into the action of the sonic drama.
If Sub*T hold an antecedent, it could be an all-female outfit, Fanny, melding ice-cold harmonies with blustery hooks. If a listener closed their eyes, they could imagine June Millington chanting “Nokomis”, albeit with heavier power chords than on “Charity Ball”. Sub*T are simply bringing that lineage to the next logical step. Still, there is a definite sense of singular focus to Bennett and Alcantara’s music, which is why I won’t spent too much time time comparing the two outfits.Sub*T could do worse than be the next Fanny.
Rather than diversifying the sound, their debut underlines their position as out-and-out heavy-hitters. “Wide Load” pushes the guitar formula through a collection of stop/start techniques and cool, calculated finger strokes. Funnily, “Wide Load” is actually the most linear composition on the record; the most commercial, too. Drums form the countermelody to “Standing Room”, a gutsy track coated by heavy metal overtones. Sub*T can work on it for the theatres, a rocking idea that has the potency to become a behemoth. How My Own Voice Sounds is not perfect, though it points to an impressive career.
From a poetic front, “On the Vine” is the closest to another mode of art. Whispered vocals pad out the audio, the musicians imitating the chugging of a train racing down a track. Bennett and Alcantara are the stars, but the band as an entity plays as one whole. “Too Much”, as a mix, permits the cymbals and tom-toms to breathe, rapidly ascending in animation next to the fiery bass parts. Clearly a record that needs to be listened to at maximum volume, the sounds ricochet into the bones; on this listening, I was transported to the clubs of New York, breathing in the New Wave.
Rock needs potency to be powerful, something Sub*T contain in spades. It would serve the singers well to reach out into other genres, jumping between styles and tempos like a creative busy bee. “Mirror Image” lends itself to flamenco, just as “Sister Species” could be re-worked as a reggae number. Whatever way they turn, there is potential to be mined. Grace Bennett and Jade Alcantara met on the Internet, yet this connection could only stem from a genuine, authentic human bond. It is reflected in the music, exhilarating and precise.