The wonderful Alaska & Aurora return not long after their last single, to offer up what is genuinely one of the most beautiful songs of 2019 so far.
Where their earlier release Undergrove introduced the act in a finely appealing manner, this song somehow raises them up even higher. Those simple touches have been united to great effect – the opening lyrics, the delicate passion of the leading voice, the progression from the gentle and dreamlike to the heavy warmth and clear-cut rhythms of what follows; everything slowly but surely ticks yet another box.
In terms of this style of musicality, the build-up and the softness fall on familiar territory – this trip-hop inspired aura, these subtle effects that help add drama and energy as things pour through. What seems to make it so striking though is this unexpected evolution from the uncertain yet compelling poetry of the verses, to the quickly entrancing, rhythmic power of the hook. The lyrics work in unison with this growth – the story-line fascinates, more and more so as the song nears its end. The details and the musicianship build up as one, and with these the leading voice and every vocal fragment supporting it rise up and up – reaching an ultimately warming peak that leaves things feeling notably complete.
There’s a timeless quality to this song, and something deeply intriguing about the artistic way that it’s been written and recorded. Alaska & Aurora are quickly becoming a musical must for the audio fans who crave that uplifting isolation of finely crafted escapism. I’m excited to follow their journey in the near future.
Stream the music on Spotify. Find & follow Alaska & Aurora on Instagram.
