by Torrey Proto
Noah Anthony’s project Profligate has been serving up goth-inspired dark pop for several years, and the musician’s upcoming album Too Numb to Know is a shining example of his refined songwriting abilities. The latest single “No Clear Way” is a standout offering with richly textured arpeggiating synths that drip with melancholic atmosphere. Anthony skillfully weaves together elements of new wave, punk, and industrial into a catchy and strangely anthemic package that would feel equally at home on headphones as it would blasting through surround sound speakers.
Anthony’s decision to blend more guitar and acoustic drums into the mix pays off immensely. Each sound is given the appropriate space to breathe in the mix, as opposed to the more cluttered production style often favored by his contemporaries mining similar sounds. The clarity allows his vocals and words to shine through, as he attempts to reckon with his own self-doubt and assess his ability to care for himself at a time when he felt numb to everything around him. His realizations seem to have paid dividends, with his strongest project to date providing a perfect soundtrack for the isolated reality that so many of us have to live with on a daily basis.
Profligate will play on Monday 9/21 as part of Pizza Night on Twitch.
