Softcult Light A Raging Fire in “Shortest Fuse” | THE NOISE
Canadian duo Softcult, formed by twin siblings Phoenix and Mercedes Arn Horn, are fucking fed up on their latest track, "Shortest Fuse." The single is a melodic lament to the vice-like grip of life under capitalism, highlighting yet again the haunting blend of the band's trademark shadowy riffs, urgent vocals, and commanding beats.
The track is an indictment of capitalism and its capacity to imprison the underprivileged in a cycle of impoverishment and debt. Mercedes' lyrical contributions don't beat around the bush in this discussion, nor should they. She laments the incompetent boss who "forgot the payroll again," the debasement the impoverished regularly fall victim to in "selling your guitar to pay rent," the complacency the capitalist structure gives rise to, and the hanging question, "Is this what you call "free enterprise?" and otherwise how capitalism essentially fosters this sense of inescapable servility and docility.
Sonically, the abrasive track is a colossal fusion of shoegaze, grunge, and riot grrrl, with the verse offering relief in the form of swirling guitar and synth, thudding drums, bass, and tense guitar in the background, and the chorus is a wall of distorted guitar, soaring vocals, and ambient guitar melody. It's an effective dynamic that syncs with the brooding weariness of Mercedes' vocals.
"Capitalism seems to be designed to keep underprivileged people toiling in a never-ending cycle of debt and poverty where their labor is underpaid in order to profit their employers," said the band about the inspiration behind the new track. "The benefits of capitalism are rarely equally distributed, accruing wealth to a very small percentage of the population. Built on the notion of greed, benefitting only by paying workers less than what their labor is worth, it's difficult to not become disenfranchised with capitalism when you exist in this reality and see no end in sight. We can't become complicit in a system that is designed to keep us down."
The new song follows their previous tracks, "Haunt You Still" and "Heaven," and is taken from their upcoming EP, a follow-up to the recent six-song EP, See You In The Dark. 2023 brought Softcult worldwide, including the US, UK, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Japan. They've supported bands like Movements and Mannequin Pussy, and played SXSW and countless festivals across the UK. Now they'll bring it back to the US for their first headlining tour, starting next month with Superbloom and Glixen and continuing in the summer with new dates just announced today with Present. as support.
Check out Softcult's latest single, "Shortest Fuse," today!
