Now that I have lived for eleven years on the other side of the country from where I grew up, I have a more pronounced affection for what I call my hometown heroes, who are up-and-coming athletes or performers or persons of note. I relish in seeing success for other folks who are also where I’m from, even though I could never see myself returning for good. My hometown support boasts a neighborly spirit, though the feeling isn’t limited to my personal proximity. Singapore Dreaming, the newest effort from Subsonic Eye, is the essential ode to a hometown I’m not related to. 

The LP is the Singaporean quintet’s fifth LP, and it marks a new point in their vulnerability as a band. “When I first wrote ‘Dijangka’ and ‘Matahari,’ I wanted it to be private, so only 10% of the listeners would understand it,” guitarist Daniel Castro Borces told Selina Yang for post-trash. Both singles were released together on a limited edition yellow 7” in 2021, (now long since sold out,) and notably they were the first of Subsonic Eye’s discography to be sung entirely in their native language, Malay. Singapore Dreaming marks the first time they have included a non-English language track on a studio album. Borces continued, “Now, I want to write more Malaysian because that’s literally my background and it would be nice to have more Malay songs.” 

“i can’t understand
what i am saying” – “Aku Cemas”

“Aku Cemas” does include a little English, ironically. Its title (and refrain) translates to “I’m worried,” a motif that frequently reappears throughout the record. The more difficult pill to swallow is the world that greets them in the twilight of their youth. Absolutely anxiety-inducing, for many reasons, but Subsonic Eye talks about what is closest to them, often literally. Vocalist Nur Wahidah invokes that “touch grass feeling” on “My iPhone Screen” amid the invasive and overwhelming technology in our lives—I, too, nurture a “hundred tabs on my browser” (“Overgrown”). 

The album’s shoegaze sensibility matches its descriptions of modern-day young adult malaise. “It was so unbearable,” Wahidah cries on “Brace,” toward the end of Singapore Dreaming, erupting with the clearest feeling across this hazy record. The bassline stands out on “Situations,” even as the guitars race like a pulse during a panic attack. I think “Sweet” emulates a sound so nostalgic that I can’t truly describe it. Even “Interlude” into “Being Productive” felt so familiar at first listen, but that might just be my soft spot for the millennial whoop. 

I’m not the only faraway fan taking notice of Subsonic Eye, who signed with Topshelf Records in 2022. Yang asked Borces what differences he notices in the international recognition that the band is receiving, and he admitted it was “more surreal” inducing “imposter syndrome.” A perfect follow-up to the themes of the album opener, “Why Am I Here” admits to struggling with self-doubt—in a positive turn, the song’s climax reminds us that even in hard moments, “I can do this.” These ideas are universal which is why the music is resonating across the globe like a giant golden gong. But they are also specific enough to understand this group of young Singaporean artists. 

Adulthood can feel like a betrayal no matter where you mature, coming face-to-face with the cruelty of reality and the near-powerlessness any individual has to change it. Hell, I haven’t been a kid for a long time and I still wrestle with that. The best antidote is embracing your community. It seems that Subsonic Eye has been on that path, writing more intentionally in their language as just a small example—they have enjoyed adoration in Singapore for years. Now they have to face international fans like me, who see them as my own hometown heroes, despite the distance. 

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