The album contains nine tracks plus one bonustrack (Rain is the Most Beautiful Color) in melodic progressive rock style in the vein of Sieges Even. However, Subsignal's music is clearly more calm and tranquil, more often expressing positive emotions instead of melancholic. The release was followed by a short tour as support for Jane and Saga, as well as several headlining shows in Germany, Italy and Austria.
Their second record, Touchstones, was released three years later, in September 2011. It contains 12 tracks, which feature heavier guitars and a somewhat darker sound compared to their debut while still upholding Subsignals signature sound. Furthermore, several guest musicians appear on the album, for example Isabel Flössel (guest vocals in The Lifespan Of A Glimpse) and a String Trio.
The band is currently on a headliner tour, promoting the release. Isabel Flössel also appears on tour as a temporary support for the band, providing background vocals. Since release of Touchstones, Subsignal play less songs originally by Sieges Even live and instead focus on their own material.
The Sea
Subsignal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Camouflaged and partly blind,
Parading fireflies
In the orange light.
Something nameless woke
When we
Closed our eyes to the burning salt
Each other's perfect luck
And each other's pain
Each other's promise
And each other's guilt
Each other's blessing
And each other's curse
Each other's everything
Each other's loss
Each other's blue sky
Each other's rain
Each other's sunlight
And each other's night
Each other's paradise
And each other's hell
Some things remain
While others get lost
I saw the writhing shapes of men
Bathed in moonlight,
Beautiful and monstrous,
Were a song felt in the deepest bones,
Felt the soothing wind like a lover's warmth,
Were like butterflies
With flailing wings
Inside the palm
Just a picture dear
Swallowed by the sea, by the sea….
Composição: Arno Menses / Markus Steffen
The lyrics to Subsignal's "The Sea" are about the complexities of a relationship and the emotional turmoil that comes with it. The first stanza describes something that is hiding just beneath the surface, something that is not immediately visible. This could be a metaphor for a conflict or issue within the relationship that is not openly discussed. The image of fireflies in orange light adds to the sense of something hidden, as fireflies often appear in the darkness and can be difficult to see.
The second stanza refers to the awakening of something nameless when the couple closes their eyes to the burning salt on an island surrounded by the sea and darkened earth. This suggests that the couple is in a secluded or isolated place, perhaps trying to escape from the complications of their relationship. Each line in the third stanza mentions a duality within the relationship - perfect luck and pain, promise and guilt, blessing and curse, etc. The repetition of "each other's" emphasizes the idea that the couple is inextricably linked, and both positive and negative aspects of their relationship must be acknowledged.
The final stanza includes powerful imagery of writhing shapes of men bathed in moonlight, which could represent the couple themselves. The sensation of the song being felt in the deepest bones and the soothing wind like a lover's warmth creates a visceral effect, as though the relationship is physically affecting the body. The use of butterflies with flailing wings inside the palm could represent the fragility and vulnerability of love. The final line "just a picture dear, swallowed by the sea" suggests that the relationship might not last, regardless of its intensity or significance.
Line by Line Meaning
Something broke the even surface,
Something unexpected disturbed the smooth, calm surface of the water.
Camouflaged and partly blind,
The cause of the disturbance was hard to detect and not fully understood.
Parading fireflies in the orange light.
The cause of the disturbance was briefly visible, like fireflies in the glow of sunset.
Something nameless woke when we closed our eyes to the burning salt.
An unnamed force or feeling emerged when we tried to ignore the uncomfortable reality around us.
On an island surrounded by the sea and the darkened earth.
The artist is in a place that is both surrounded by the ocean and isolated from the rest of the world.
Each other's perfect luck and each other's pain, each other's promise and each other's guilt.
The people in the singer's life bring both joy and sorrow, love and regret.
Each other's blessing and each other's curse, each other's everything and each other's loss.
The singer's relationships are complex and encompass everything from joy to pain, from support to loss.
Each other's blue sky, each other's rain, each other's sunlight and each other's night.
The people in the artist's life are a part of every aspect of their experience, both light and dark.
Each other's paradise and each other's hell, some things remain while others get lost.
The ups and downs of relationships come and go, but some things endure.
I saw the writhing shapes of men bathed in moonlight, beautiful and monstrous, were a song felt in the deepest bones.
The artist witnessed something both captivating and disturbing, which stirred something primal within them.
Felt the soothing wind like a lover's warmth, were like butterflies with flailing wings inside the palm.
Despite the unsettling nature of the experience, there was still something tender and delicate about it.
Just a picture dear swallowed by the sea, by the sea….
The experience was fleeting and ultimately washed away by the unforgiving power of the ocean.
Contributed by Katherine J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.