This Is Our Jam: Soft Metals, “Eyes Closed”

Portland’s Soft Metals make vintage synthpop that borrows from just about every genre ever to use analog synths and fog machines in tandem. At their genesis, Soft Metals served as something of a vehicle for the burgeoning romance of members Patricia Hall and Ian Hicks, and considering how sexy their music sounds, this isn’t much of a surprise. “Eyes Closed” sees both darkwave synths and German techno gliding like mercury underneath Hall’s breathy vocals. The derivative nature of the project (and I don’t mean that as a pejorative) has the couple searching for emotional cues in the music of the past (italo, darkwave, shoegaze, techno)—aligning disparate elements and exploring different themes. With “Eyes Closed,” the result is darkly romantic and fresh enough to create its own space in the narrative of electronic music the duo obviously adore.