We previously featured Arliston as they shared emotional depth on the atmospheric, How in Heaven, so when we heard that the creative duo had just released Pisco Sours, we couldn’t wait to listen and feed back.
First and foremost, it is worth explaining that a “pisco sour” is an alcoholic cocktail of Peruvian origin. The drink’s name comes from pisco, which is its base liquor, and the cocktail term sour, with reference to the sour citrus juice and sweetener components.
The opus itself opens with cerebral textures and an enigmatic synth melody before Arliston share the profound lyrics, “I am thinking it though, cos I’m living in my head more than I live in the room…”
We immediately connect with the authentic depth that the duo convey, both sonically and lyrically, and the thought-provoking prose which feels self-realized and cathartic. The vocal harmonies are exquisite and the build of the track takes us on a dimensional journey.
Pisco Sours boast a cinematic and evocative music video directed and produced by Bo Morgan, and is the second instalment from Arliston’s upcoming EP set for release in the early summer of 2023!
We love the attention to detail that Arliston, also known as Jack Ratcliffe and George Hasbury, share with their artistry, and the journey that they take us on with their emotive brand of storytelling and Jack’s epic vocal range. The middle eight and instrumental segment of the track are cosmic and ethereal, which adds to the value and experience of the overarching concept.
We learn that the track is designed to “travel seamlessly though dark looming skies to arrive at a metaphorical clearing in a forest, representing a moment of clarity about a past relationship.”
Vocalist and instrumentalist Jack confesses, “I’m often eyeing up exits at parties and have a general inclination towards the anti-social so this one felt like an opportunity to get all of my grievances out on the page. I suffer from ‘the grass-is-greener-itis’. Usually, I will wind up thinking of someone or someplace that isn’t there and deifying it/them to an unhealthy point. For example, I actually hate Pisco Sours, its a horrible, horrible drink made from battery acid and evil. But, somehow, in the context of a party I don’t want to be at, the memory of them is transformed into some delicious, glowing nectar and I find myself wanting to be back there, drinking them with the person in the memory more than anything else.”
Producer and instrumentalist George continues, “I love the combination of the 80’s toms and the soft Juno synth in the verses, it felt like we’d really tapped into something special when we listened back to the first bounce. There’s something so evocative and nostalgic about the soundscape in this one, it really takes you somewhere.”
We have added Pisco Sours to our New Music Spotlight playlist, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of Arliston, and anticipate their incoming EP!