As yeule, 25-year-old Nat Ćmiel processes their voice to sing the cries of a wounded robot. The effect was beguiling when combined with indie rock and dream pop on last year's Glitch Princess. "Dazies," the lead single from their upcoming album, softscars, is in turn much harder and more immediate. A searing lead guitar cuts through an explosive grunge instrumental, which clears away to reveal our android protagonist. Ćmiel's verses dive into the blood and guts of a broken relationship, almost literally. "These rotten daisies look just like you," they blurt out. The band slows down as yeule dictates the chorus, threatening to shut down altogether. Instead, they settle into a gentle rock groove, which dissipates into an unadorned and hushed Ćmiel. Co-produced with fellow Singapore native Kin Leonn, it's a spell-binding blend of '90s rock, cyberpunk and above all, very vivid imagery.
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