Arliston – Thawed (2023)
Bursting onto the music scene with their critically acclaimed 2018 EP Hawser, UK-based Arliston has gone from strength to strength with each release. From 2019’s ‘I Have No Honour’ to 2022’s ‘Even In The Shade’ and the single ‘451’ earlier this year, singer-songwriter and instrumentalists Jack Ratcliffe and George Hasbury are turning heads with their unique brand of indie-pop. When we left Arliston, we begged the question of what the “Arliston sound” is. The experimental nature of ‘451’, ‘How In Heaven’ and ‘Pisco Sours’ stepped out of an indie-pop realm slithering through eclectic soundscapes. In ‘Thawed’, the lads step further out of the typical indie-pop with experimental edginess.
Known for their intricate exposure of human fragility and vulnerability through poetic melodies, Ratcliffe and Hasbury cling to the obscure grittiness of life in its totality. Following the ominous but warm sound of ‘451’, Arliston adopt an icier tone in the alternative pop ‘Thawed’. An illusion of smooth indie-rock beckons from the heavy drums and bold guitars; however, an oscillation from warm comfort to jagged disconcertion carries throughout the song. When touching on the topic of genre diversification, George Hasbury explains:
“It’s definitely a different sound to ‘How In Heaven’, but I think it’s a good thing to be pushing against the parameters of our sound and adding a new flavour to the Arliston pot.”
While the melody holds you in its alluring teeter between warm embraces and cold shoves, ‘Thawed’ is significantly profound in its lyricism. Vocalist Jack Ratcliffe explains:
“While it seems abstract, it’s a really simple story about a character who is trapped in a cyclical loop of behaviour. The verses give a sense of creeping claustrophobia and outline the problem: the character becomes addicted to the negativity coming out of media which leads to this fractious state where everything seems non-real and illusory…they attempt to solve it by retreating away from other people and into the sanctuary of ‘my room’…but none of it works and the cycle begins again…”
Recorded, mixed and co-produced with Brett Shaw (Florence and The Machine, The Foals), ‘Thawed’ is a swirl of surreal whimsy but with precise clarity of its intricate composition. Warm but chilled, confident but wary, light but filled with a soulful darkness, Arliston end 2023 with the fascinating single ‘Thawed’.
In addition to the single, Arliston released an official music video for ‘Thawed’. You can view the video below or on their YouTube channel.
For more from Arliston, check out their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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