Warahenege – Skyscrapers and Oceans (2021)
With ‘Cosmic Mess’ and ‘For the Moment’, Warahenege took us on a rollercoaster of emotional turmoil. The emotional honesty continues with ‘Skyscrapers and Oceans’ which navigates a painful and turbulent conversation. Packed with intense reactions, painful scrutiny, stunned silences and selfish thoughts, the single tentatively creeps toward a glimmer of hope.
While there is no tangible resolution within the single, this only makes the track more relatable and authentic. Inspired by a conversation Warahenege had with someone close to him, it offers a reflection and means of working through the emotions he felt. Using dream pop tones, this second single release lets us see what his upcoming EP has to offer.
The opening of ‘Skyscrapers and Oceans’ plucks its way into your ears. This turns into a hazy and dreamy soundscape that eases something in your chest. The easy and rather chilled vibes of the music are a little at odds with the turbulence of the conversation laid out in the lyrics. There is a stunning layering to the melody as the middle layers are hazy almost ambient tones and shuffling beats while the higher levels are a sparkling piano line. The piano line drops at times to bring a sombre feeling to the melody as the darker moments of the conversation enter the soundscape. Through all of this, the melody keeps you entranced and floating in the nebulous cloud it forms.
The vocals add to the dreaminess of the track as they softly ghost over your ears. There is a rich softness to the performance that makes you want to sink into the cushion they create. As with the melody, the vocal delivery is a little at odds with the lyrics that move through harsh words and cutting pain before offering a bittersweet and honest farewell. Through the lyrics, we are treated to some of the things that Warahenege wished to express at the time but can only formulate with the benefit of hindsight. The single leaves a really bittersweet taste in its wake that is both painful yet peaceful as the tender light of hope glints in the corner of your eye.
Through the dreamy tones of ‘Skyscrapers and Oceans’, Warahenege reflects on a tumultuous conversation full of painful reactions and tentative hope. The melody and vocals have a dreamy flow that calls for you to relax into the soundscape. This is at odds with the bittersweet feeling of the lyrics that settles in the centre of your chest.
Find out more about Warahenege on his Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
