New Music: Sombre Cattle – Soft Valentine

Soft Valentine appears to be the first single from the maddeningly mysterious Aotearoa group, Sombre Cattle.

What drives me to want to know more about the band, who only share that it comprises established New Zealand musicians, is how damn good this song is. The vocals are tantalisingly familiar, as if transmitting from within an unsettled dream, and the arrangement is similarly uneasy, thanks to its blending of shoegaze and post-punk. Its unconventional nature, especially around the vocal production, lends it an androgyny and outsider aesthetic that is captivating, never revealing much other than the emotional content of the lyrics.

There is more music on the way, and if it’s as good as Soft Valentine, I suspect Sombre Cattle will find it hard to stay anonymous, as their fan base is sure to grow. Head to the band’s equally mysterious Instagram for streaming options for the track and to keep in the know with upcoming releases.