“Functioning People”
from the EP New Soft Shoe
2009
iTunes
The origins of The Subjects goes like this: Guitarist Joe Smith and singer/bassist Dave Sheinkopf were teachers at a Manhattan school with clichéd rock star dreams. Enter their students, drummer Matt Iwanusa and guitarist Jimmy Carbonetti. Take a few rehearsals and you have a rising band with a poppy, minimalist sound. Makes you wish you paid attention in school, doesn’t it?
The band first hit the scene with 2007’s With the Ease Grace Precision and Cleverness of Human Beings. Now they’re back with the a new EP entitled New Soft Shoe that reflects the growth spurt of a band who has seen some things. Whether it’s touring with White Rabbits and Tapes n’ Tapes or jamming through SXSW, the band’s sound has morphed into a four headed beast who pulls from a collective pool of interests and works to create a sound that emphasizes four unique yet wholly similar voices.
While the new EP has songs that stylistically draw from a group like Animal Collective, the band worked to make a more varied sound. Whether it’s the goliath of old church organs, the rhythm of honky-tonk strings and piano or even Iwanusa’s mom on the sax, the album brings together the structuring of some classical work (Sheinkopf was classically trained in harmony) with eccentric pop work that is light and fresh with just enough thud and kick to it.