Arliston is one of those very special and unique indie pop duos out there. Their latest single ‘Pisco Sours’ was my means of discovering these guys and the greatness they pack in their pieces. It’s arguable that this genre of indie/alt pop was more popular 10-15 years ago, but let me remind you that there was never a band or artist that the press didn’t compare to others or call a copycat of someone else…you won’t find that here with Arliston.
With vocals that are easy going and soft guitar and synth instrumentals, this song may be just a little bit reminiscent of artists like Hozier or Passenger from that whole 2000s indie era, only in the sense of being part of the same genre/style and probably appealing to the same demographic of fans. But otherwise, the synth sounds are unique and unlike I’ve heard before, the electronic percussions are so catchy, and most importantly, the layered vocals work so well. While we have one lead vocal line that’s mostly low-pitched and grounded, we get a lot of backing accents and adlibs that consolidate this line into its place with the melody and inside the listener’s head. I found myself humming the song and memorizing its melodies before I got to read or even know the lyrics.
The bottom line is, this is a track that doesn’t care about appealing to the tropes of a certain subgenre or style, but rather about the emotional honesty of the singing, and that honesty subsequently brought so much authenticity that you will find this splendid track to be both catchy and unique at the same time. Highly recommended.