Aaronson return with their new single The Great Swells That Carry Us Will Pull Us Under, a triumphant and turbulent piece of uplifting post-rock and engrossing instrumental narrative.
A through-composition awash in reverb, The Great Swells That Carry Us Will Pull Us Under tells a story in sound. The three-piece build this from a duo of interplaying guitars over a foundation of atmospheric drumming, creating a bittersweet balance of expressive melodies and deep, full-bodied chordal movement. Constantly feeding a soft, ethereal effervescence of seemingly endless echo and delay, the sound is rich in colour and texture yet chilling when required. There are shining beacons of light and cold, bottomless depths all at once. While I might say that a small amount of punch is possibly lost in the wash and spray, the combined sound is tremendous.
Opening like the crashing of great waves onto rocks, the track navigates through changeable sections of valiant voyaging, expansive isolation, powerful slow-building swell and turbulent rise-and-fall, moving between triumph and trepidation within a single phrase. Concluding like the glorious parting of storm clouds, I’m left uncertain whether some tiny vessel has been swallowed by the sea or sailed over the horizon. Perhaps a picture planted by the song’s title and artwork, it indicates a completeness and coherence of concept running through the work.
With the Welsh music scene’s recent immersion in exciting retro vibes, shimmering synthpop and 80s nostalgia, Aaronson’s new single is a refreshing and alternative contribution of classic-sounding post-rock. Recognisable but never trite, it immediately invites compelling comparisons with the likes Explosions in the Sky, God Is An Astronaut and Mono. At over 6 minutes, it is a relatively long track as far as radio-friendliness goes, however, it is never adrift or over-indulgent.
Aaronson is the type of band I always hope to discover by chance at an ArcTanGent or other festival. Having previously released a 4 track EP in studio and live form, I’m excited by the news of a full album coming in July...
"The Great Swells That Carry Us Will Pull Us Under" is out now on Dirty Carrot Records.
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