“Do you miss the days we spent in the sun?”
Nostalgia can be a powerful thing. The sentimental longing for the past is something that draws many in an innate fashion, and motifs is a band that captures this especially well in their sound. Formed in 2019, the Singaporean quintet plays a style between shoegaze and dream pop, citing influences from shoegaze household names such as Slowdive, my bloody valentine, and Cocteau Twins, and over the course of the last few years, they have worked tirelessly on their debut album, remember a stranger.
There are two main themes the album explores: fading memories and coping with loss. Many of the tracks are influenced by the ‘growing up’ years of frontwoman and guitarist Elspeth Ong, and the tracks drip with emotion and life. Instrumental intro “dawn” opens the album with guitars drowned in reverb, reminiscent of many instrumental post-rock bands such as Caspian. First single “fluorescent” follows, an upbeat sounding track with a tinge of wistfulness. A groovy, bass-heavy breakdown follows the first chorus, and the reverb-heavy guitars create a deceptively cheery atmosphere. Ong’s voice has an appropriately calm and dreamy cadence that adds to the emotion of the instrumentals.
“valentine” takes on a mournful tone, a track about loss, with one of the first few lines, “I wish you’d spent your last week home,” opening it on a wistful note that, together with the instrumental, drives home the sorrow of the song. The second verse reminisces memories shared with the person lost, with many terms that might be familiar to a Singaporean such as myself. The synth led section give “valentine” a retro feel, calling back to their influences whilst feeling fresh and innovative. The closing lines, “Are you happier? I miss you” are hauntingly sombre, completing what is one of the record’s most intimate and emotional songs.
The album takes an interesting turn on “hourglass”, which sees keyboardist and vocalist Badrul Amin take centre stage. With tasteful harmonies and traded lines with Ong, it is an interesting change of pace, a reprieve from remember a stranger‘s subtle intensity. Short interlude “dusk” brings us straight into “summersad”. As the song title suggests, this is more melancholic, and the album takes this direction from here. Layered over the wall of sound are subtle but effective leads from lead guitarist JJ Tan and dainty vocal harmonies which tug at the heartstrings.
Second single “lovelost” is a highlight of the album. It has a strong sense of longing attached to it, as it talks about a picture of someone they have forgotten. The combination of the intricate lead work and gentle vocals create a satisfying and vibey experience. The title track of the album takes a stripped back, post-rock approach with acoustic guitars and a slower, calmer instrumental. While lighter on the instrumentals, it’s definitely heavy on the feels, reminding everyone that motifs are not only here to create great music, but connect with the listener. Album closer “spitzer” opens softly with Ong’s singing and a distant, yet prominent, tremolo in the background. Ending the album on a sadder, more emotional note, the closing lines are standout: “I try to make things better but I only hold destruction in my hands.”
Truth be told, this isn’t a ground-breaking shoegaze record; musically, it mostly stays within the tropes of the genre. However, it does an impressive job at conveying the feelings of wistfulness and nostalgia within the style, and it is certainly more accessible and polished than some of its contemporaries; the production is clear, and every aspect, from vocals to instruments, feels purposeful and intentional. Perhaps it’s because the band is local to me, but the music manages to conjure up memories of my own of life here, and it really feels as though great care has been taken to distill Ong’s experiences into a delicate yet dense soundtrack. As a debut record, remember a stranger is a promising start for a new band. It is definitely very substantial, and there’s hardly any moment where the record stagnates. It’s refreshing to hear something so refined as a first offering, and motifs definitely have an exciting path ahead.
8.5/10
remember a stranger releases this Friday, November 11th, via spikyfruits, and you can pre-order it here.