Subject A Takes us to Paradise

What’s four years between releasing new material?! We fondly reviewed Subject A’s album Writer’s Eyes back in 2019; they’ve a new single out this week, and it’s worth the wait….

The brainchild of Swindon’s finest purveyors of everything offbeat, pianist Erin Bardwell and bassist Dean Sartain, Subject A is the experimental dub project you need to take heed of. This new double A starts with a mellowed and gorgeous electronica dub track, Paradise. Much in the vein of Massive Attack and the nineties Bristol trip hop scene, with the definite nod to reggae, as in what Oxford’s Zaia are putting out. So, equally as we’re geographically in between Bristol and Oxford, so too is this uniquely Swindon sound!

Starter for ten is the ambience of this aptly named tune, provided through a firm collective of Rachael Birkin’s Viola, Harki Popli’s Tabla (who we know from Will LawtonandtheAlchemists,) and these dreamy vocals and flute of Heather O’Neill; the result is sublime. Add regular drummer Matty Bane to Erin’s keys and Dean’s bass, and all you need to complete the effect is subtle brass, a trumpet, provided by Colin Berry.

The final track is a dub of Paradise, which levels up the reggae tip, reminding me of when the Mad Professor went to work on Massive Attack’s albums. But nestled in-between is an outside chance called The Bottle, a gem of upbeat ska-fuelled dub, perhaps more Mungo’s Hi-Fi than Massive Attack, but most certainly a nod back to their Two-Tone roots; this is the Specials in modern day format, it skanks, it’s irresistibly danceable, and with vocals by Neil Sartain it simply has that floorfiller appeal and shows the diversity of Subject A. Recoded at Earthworm, this is a peach!