SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SINGER. MATTRESS. CAT. – SUBTROPICAL PERSONALITY

SINGER. MATTRESS. CAT.
SUBTROPICAL PERSONALITY
INDEPENDENT

There’s one question that might be looming among the melody-oriented indie rock fans; is bedroom pop a dying breed, or are they going into a sort of merger?

If you ask Australian Martin Cooke, the man who was behind Gaslight Radio, a band that got quite a following Down Under in the 90s, and the artist currently under a sardonic Singer. Mattress. Cat. moniker, and listen to his solo debut album Subtropical Personality, the answer to the first question is a resounding no, and the answer to the latter just might be a bit moot.

You see, Cooke hasn’t lost his penchant for a good melody, and the 14 songs he presents on the album are brimming with songwriting excellence. On the other hand, Cooke started creating this album in an empty New York apartment on an old acoustic guitar, only to fully record these songs in a Melbourne studio, turning the bedroom/lo-fi/studio combination into a moot point.

But forget about the labels and their official meaning and focus on what Cooke is coming up with here, as there is an abundance of excellent music on this album.

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