As art reflects life, the new American Sigh record Virtue Signal reflects a time of transition. Originally rising to prominence in West Palm Beach, songwriter Theo Matz paints a melodic portrait of a world reeling from a loss of faith and learning to find hope in the face of nihilism. The only sure thing is change, and Virtue Signal wraps meditations on a world in flux in a beguiling blend of up-tempo indie folk, second-wave emo guitar squall, and articulate, chiming melody. Built on a foundation of granite-solid songwriting (this record was written primarily on acoustic guitar), while Virtue Signal represents an evolution in Matz’ creative reality it is still, as Glide dubbed the last record, “immediately engaging and full of intricate nuance.”
