Singer. Mattress. Cat. Reveals Soul-Stirring Debut Album "Subtropical Personality"
- Charles Luberisse
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
Written By: Big C
Memories stay warm like sun-bleached postcards. With Subtropical Personality, Australian shoegaze artist Singer. Mattress. Cat. steps into the spotlight as a solo storyteller, sharing a lo-fi diary shaped by survival, humor, and hard-won wisdom. Led by Martin Cooke, formerly of the ’90s indie cult favorite Gaslight Radio, the album embraces imperfection with tender clarity. Written on an aging acoustic guitar in New York’s Lower East Side and recorded in Melbourne, its intimate textures carry the weight of past lives while leaning toward something hopeful and new. The project marks Cooke’s return after decades of shaping Australian indie rock. Expanding on his vision, Cooke explains:
The album is a homage to that wildness of my childhood and all the friends who turned to crime to survive. I am the one left holding the torch to tell their stories... Music should be about failing beautifully… I have been failing forever. I would never have it any other way.
These sentiments echo across tracks like Nico Wanted To Be A Drummer, a tribute to a friend whose chosen name honored The Velvet Underground’s Nico, and Postcard Sort Of Day, a wistful portrait of gig-economy monotony softened by daydreams. Subtropical Personality arrives mastered by Grammy-nominated engineer Chris Gehringer and follows earlier singles such as Little Broken Moon, praised by The Needle Drop for its ’90s lo-fi spirit. Critics and listeners alike have anchored themselves to the project’s emotional rawness. As he steps into this new era, he carries the same torch — now brighter, more personal, and unfiltered. Experience "Subtropical Personality" now and connect with Singer. Mattress. Cat. for more on INSTAGRAM and BANDCAMP.