Every day we realize there’s a sick project we still haven’t come across. Today’s project is Arliston, indie-pop duo hailing from London, UK. Since their debut in 2018, they have aimed at shaking their listeners’ inner feelings, by offering material that’s intimate, pensive and poignant. While some of their early efforts would resemble a middle ground between London Grammar and Bon Iver, they have kept moving since, exploring punchier experimental avenues. Their latest effort showcases exactly that, placing them once again in the eye of contemporaneity.
Aided by the legendary Brett Shaw at Studio 123, Arliston craft an absolute gem, ‘Hold My Wine’. Deep, gritty vocals are layered upon a sea of sonic goodness, balancing wide retro-sounding drums against synth arpeggios, light guitars and a general sense of urgency, partly tamed by the overall brilliancy surrounding the track.
Arliston’s heroes Jack Ratcliffe and George Hasbury surpass themselves, landing on a musical formula that leaves us in awe, and eager to hear more. Somehow, they do retain their identity and their signature emotional blueprint, but it’s a modern and refined version of it, adapting very well to our troubled times.
Lyrically, we are in self-confidence territory, with the song describing the feeling of being stuck in life without the ability to do anything meaningful about that. As the duo describes: “Hold my Wine’ is about that occasional moment of recognition when you look up from the narrow corridor of your own thoughts and are seized by the idea that everyone else has progressed and developed, while you are stuck in an unchanged rut. The protagonist attempts to do something about it in the chorus – but inevitably, he gets it wrong”.
Recommended! While waiting for their upcoming EP ‘Even In The Shade’, make sure to stream ‘Hold My Wine’ on Spotify:
