ARBES: “PSALMS" | Album Review
Several well combined musical ingredients create the dreamy concoction that is Arbes’ newest EP, Psalms.
Based out of Melbourne, Australia-- this trio consisting of band members Anita Agathangelou, Sam Pannifex, and Jess Zanoni set out to create their atmospheric follow up record to their 2015 release Swimmer.
Arbes' sound on this EP is layered in a simple complexity comprised of mild psychedelic elements with mellow lo-fi components over a solid alternative and dream-pop foundation. Each song creates a cohesive elongated moment in time, consciously filling every second with spellbinding melodies.
Upon the first listen, I found myself transfixed by the instrumentation before falling deeper into a mesmerized trance from Jess Zanoni’s haunting vocals.
Psalms opens with a couple brighter, upbeat songs— one of the stand outs being “Follow Towards.” It took me a couple listens before becoming engrossed by this track, perhaps due to the fact that it's the longest song on the EP as it clocks in at a little over five and a half minutes in length. However, the euphoric harmony this song possesses in the first half before shifting into an ultra groovy, somewhat soulful sound is what makes this song a unique highlight from the record.
Another highlight from this release that I can not forget to mention is “Fortune.” This serves as a song you can both sway along to and also sing-shout the lyrics to on a nighttime road trip. This versatility has easily made "Fortune" one of my favorite songs off of Psalms.
The pace of the EP fluctuates with every track. This not only creates a balanced variety, but also adds to the auditory experience of the record as a whole. With that being said, I often found myself gravitating toward some of the slower moments on the EP with songs like “No Home to Know” and “Flaunter."
“Flaunter” is the final track on Psalms. The less than three minute song begins with the lyrics, “Speak too slow, the world is way too loud / you’re wearing me down, and out,” releasing this cathartic feeling of wholeness before the song’s ethereal instrumentation fades to a close.
In the end, Psalms is a collection of tracks that allows the mind to float away on dreamy guitar riffs as time seemingly disintegrates. Before you know it, you will have listened to the EP on repeat several times, while blissfully becoming lost into an abyss of Arbes’ music.
Check out more from Arbes here.
Check out more from Sports Day Records here.
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