The solo shoegaze/rock project of Sufian M., numb talking‘s debut album, dead leaves and all, is a loud and psychedelic diary of fatigue, adult life changes and the joys that can root even in the toughest times. Downtuned guitars, manic delays and meditative lyrics invite the listener to feel the exhaustion of grief and acceptance, the lightness of burdens dropped, and the mischief of madness.
Incorporating glitching and degrading delays on vox and guitar highlighted single, “walk with u,” came about from a heavy yet playful conversation and walk with a friend. The structure of the song had been conceived via voice notes in the woods.
The music explores the electric guitar’s timbres and potential to vocally express without word, setting tension/connection between the spoken and unspoken. from overwhelmingly distorted arrangements to dreamier reprieves, the instruments play with energy and fatigue among layers of synthesis, distortion, and expression of the voice and its disfigurement.
Come sit and feel the peace
Come sit and feel the weeds
Come sit and feel
The disfigurement this world
Does to us all
I would walk around with you
At the core of numb talking are the wishmaking and healing capacities of songs as hummed prayers, admissions, cautions, reminders and celebrations. the voice whispers and projects in a mix of shoegaze and nu-metal tendencies that invite, warn and laugh with the listener.
