- “quiver” is the latest full-length record from Canberra based musician and sound artist Shoeb Ahmad. “quiver” paints a picture of Shoeb’s internal monologue throughout personal change and trauma. Each title is, unusually, presented lowercase within inverted commas, evokes a game of word association, with the title being quoted spontaneously in response to the story contained. Sometimes the meaning of the title is clear while sometimes it’s more abstract and personal as in the case of “mask-ed”.
The songs on “quiver” are introverted and direct, but that’s not to say that they’re always concise and clear; they tend to linger for an extended time awash in layered textures and repetition. Sometimes this is a very welcome effort that raises the song to even greater heights, but conversely they can linger uncomfortably for an absence of anything new or particularly striking.
On the album opener, “lope” a build of minimal, mechanical drum machine and cold synthesizer gives way to slow, moody and textural guitar arpeggios, twinkling bells and keys, a gothic bass line, and syncopated and back driven drums. It’s somewhat reminiscent of early The Cure, a reference that becomes less defined throughout the album as it veers towards a very different breed of lonely, minimal pop arrangements and to jangle pop on “romance”. There are ample memorable guitar lines, droning accordion or harmonium, violins and synths, as well as a creative and invigorating rhythm section.The songs are, overall, darkly optimistic, deliberately brooding and vaguely formless while still retaining a sense of a familiar structure. There’s great wonder in the compositions though, they draw you in with unusual melodic textures and subtle instrumental changes that blur the lines between instruments and Shoeb’s vocals.
Often understated and restrained, Shoeb at times seeming to deny a satisfying emotional release over the swirling melodies and rhythms of the song. The vocal of “romance” stands out in this respect as well as the fiddle backed swirl of “pinpointed”, as it concludes with a great release of this vocal tension. The voice also shines at times when accompanied by harmonies, such as on the oh’s and ah’s at the conclusion of “mask-ed” or “pinpointed”. These moments add a greater emotional clarity to Shoeb’s delivery, the subtleties of which are easy to overlook on first listen.
The songs are woven from a deep emotional thread, slowly and without ambiguity about their personal nature. “quiver” is a record that could stay with you a long time still revealing the layers of its disquieting tapestry, but it takes a somewhat patient and attentive ear to wring out this special element in the often quiet and understated arrangements.
- Jaden Gallagher.