Song of the Week: Subtropical

Does anyone else smell smoke? It must just be our last neurons grinding together to finally produce some serotonin! Either that, or I'm about to have a seizure, so I'll make this quick just in case—Legend has it that where there's smoke, there's fire, and where there's fire there's definitely Subtropical!

As I'm sure you have all noticed by now, Subtropical is the perfect summer jam. It's the musical equivalent of clocking out of work on the Friday night before a vacation. The light, effervescent guitar makes it impossible to sit still no matter where you are, and leaves you feeling like you're driving along the coastline on a peak summer day with your top down (bonus points if you have a convertible!)

Or perhaps it's more like sipping some overpriced fruity drink out of a novelty tiki head on a beach somewhere, with white sands and water so crystal clear you underestimate its depth until the lifeguard has to get involved. And that, my friends, is why I can never go back to a Sandals Resort... But that's a story for another day.

This song is certainly another triumph for the Skinner Brothers, whose relentless creativity never fails to transport you into whatever world they want you to witness that day. Subtropical is nothing short of a sonic escape—it's that little place your mind goes to when life is overwhelming and you find yourself zoned out in the kitchen waiting for the toaster to startle you back into reality. And at just £1 on Bandcamp release day, it's still cheaper than drugs, but every bit as habit forming.

As soon as the drums kick in you will feel that vibrant, electrifying sound coursing through your veins, and you will be chasing that high for at least two more weeks until Zac pulls another rabbit out of his hat. Let's face it—time just works a bit differently on his planet, and we may never know how he manages to do what he does as frequently as he does, but that's okay! (I tried asking the rabbits, but they're not snitches.)

I also really enjoyed the video for this song. I like the glitchy editing, LOVE that it has lyrics, and the random little visuals that flash by so quickly you are barely sure you saw them are some next-level Tyler Durden shit. Seriously, it took me like fifteen minutes to pause the video just right, only to find an error message and what appeared to be a Blue Screen of Death. I felt like I had been Rick Rolled in some new, clever fashion, and I don't know how to feel about that.

The video was also filmed inside a train station and car park using an iPhone! What's not to love about that?! That's not rain you feel, it's our punk ancestors shedding tears of joy straight from Valhalla.

There is an excellent behind the scenes video on the Skinner Brothers' Patreon channel showing how this video was made, by the way. Go check that out if you haven't already seen it, I think you might be surprised!

And speaking of the video... if I were a better person, I probably wouldn't include this bit, but let's go ahead and squash that rumor before it gets out of hand. If you were fortunate enough to catch the Subtropical video premier, you would have witnessed this glorious moment unfold in real time. Consider this your incentive to join us for the next one:

You know, they say if you do what you love you'll never work a day in your life, but I didn't fully understand what that meant until you guys nominated Subtropical this week. (Sorry, Zac! 😆)

In all seriousness though, it's endearing moments like this (where you're pretty sure he's messing with you, but you can't really prove it) that keep you guessing, and add that extra layer of intrigue that is rapidly becoming synonymous with the Skinner Brothers. And if he's not messing with us, you have to give credit where it's due, because who else could write a song that perfectly captures a subtropical feeling without even knowing what it meant? It's simply magic, man. And I'm not just saying that so he doesn't yell at us for picking on him, either.

Go on now, and be well. And in the spirit of Subtropical, don't forget to “Seas the day!” ...Okay, that was bad. Don't worry, I'll sea myself out.

☘️🖤