One of my first favorite local bands, Stone Arch Isles, is back, and set to completely screw up my year-end lists. Today, the folk rock sextet released "$10 Day," the first single from their forthcoming double EP.
"$10 Day" sets itself apart from anything the band has put out within the first second. Virtually every prior song has started quietly, favoring a more gradual approach to sonic beauty, harmonies and rhythms bleeding in until they make an impressionistic water-color landscape. Now, they're working with a much more groove-oriented sound. A simple guitar lick bursts in immediately and settles into a shoulder-bobbing beat.
Settling in quickly, "$10 Day" proceeds mostly as one would expect. Different melodic lines shift in and out of focus, like the shimmering of the sun's reflection. However, there's a slight darkness that reveals itself. There are several times throughout where everything falls away and the lead vocal sinks into the now-bog-like mix. Like a cloud blocking the sky, an uncertain synth tone rises up, only to be dashed away by the band's crashing return.
As the track progresses, one thing becomes apparent. Stone Arch Isles could completely change everything about their sound (to atmospheric black metal, to jazz, to a Jesus Is King cover band) and as long as they kept their vocals the same, it would still be identifiable. Each new release showcases how generous their combination of idyllic melodies and sublime harmonies truly is. They feel natural, almost unconscious, despite how much I'm sure they're deliberately arranged.
Stone Arch Isles never needed to change anything about their music. From the pastoral folk of Kingdoms to the slightly edgier An Idle Mind, their particular brand has been perfectly satisfying. I would be happy to listen to slightly varied Kingdoms clones for the rest of the band's career. Fortunately, that seems not to be the case. With a few slight tweaks (at least in this song - who knows what the full double EP will bring), they prove their willingness to challenge the temptation of stagnation.
Stream "$10 Day" below, and get your tickets to the EP release show (with LASKA and Verluna) here.
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