White Arrows’ Dry Land is Not a Myth [7.3]

Fireworks of the Sea – White Arrows // Buy

From a distance, indietonica might seem as though it’s a made up genre that dosent really have any true form or meaning. When you listen to an act like White Arrows (@whitearrows), however, the description fits perfectly. This LA group’s debut, for the most part, is a well-rounded and intricate blend of all things acoustic, analog and digital. Dry Land Is Not A Myth contains an essence of 70′s rock, garage rock and straight up indie wrapped up in an audible blanket of glitchy effects, sunny pop-like synths and a colourful pallette of electronic sound.

The group’s sense of melody hits immediately upon first listen. Both the vocals and instrumentation on this record carry a warm, sweet presence throughout, floating you along like a sun-kissed wave of upbeat energy. Similar to many other acts who sit under this particular umbrella, White Arrows play with some interesting ideas and combinations, granted, some of them dont quite work and others can be a little puzzling. There are also, however, a good number of meshes that not only hit the mark, but do so with clarity and impact.

A lot of the mechanics behind this record are quite fascinating too, as several songs are made up of very clean and clear cut sections. On the one hand, this works nicely to avoid getting verses tangled up in transitions and provides a smooth, uncomplicated connection. However, on the flip side, the jump between can sometimes be a little jarring and abrupt.

There’s a lot of playful experimentation to be found in both the content and execution of Dry Land Is Not A Myth, and though sometimes it rubs the rough against the smooth, it dosen’t put a dampener on the record’s sense of fun. It is, after all, a very enjoyable listen. While you may get the impression that these guys are still working out their definitive sound, it’s obvious they’re enjoying the process. Furthermore if you open yourself up to the record’s pros (of which there are many) you’ll find yourself enjoying the process too.