Don’t call it a throwback, it’s been here for years? Okay, couldn’t help ourselves but the sounds emanating from the speakers whenever Arrows Of Athena is playing gives us all the nostalgia vibes. Not a retread by any means but more a renaissance when handled by the Boston-based duo of Jac-Lyn Gibson and Scott Lerner who prepare to pounce on their upcoming debut full-length packed with powerful prose and profound pieces of music.
In our initial review of The Ghost Archives single “Reckless Heart” we compared Arrows Of Athena to Elastica and Republica… and now with the full-length experienced a few times we’d like to amend that statement and complete the holy ’90’s trinity by adding Garbage to the mix. And again, the kind of music that AOA make is more a resurgence but delving deeper into the sounds beyond “Reckless Heart” really highlights Gibson’s soulful approach echoing Shirley Manson at times.
Anyway! The record is here and begins with the sweet throbbing slow burn of “Insanity” which introduces more ethereal/atmospheric elements to underscore the Rawk created by Lerner and Gibson. “Cure for Everything” dangles that synthetic carrot a little more and definitely hearkens back to the days when Butch Vig was stretching his production chops with his own band on their debut back in 1995. “Fade Away” glistens, glows, glides, and just does all the good things on a track that easily resonates with that Show-era melancholy by The Cure while “Second Chances” thumps steadily surrounded by hearty backbeats, humming low ends, and Gibson at the center with a commanding vocal presence that’s equally vibrant and vulnerable.
Following “Reckless Heart” (Which you can read all about here), “Life’s Just Weird” brings about a tonal change with Lerner easing into some spacious grooves on the instrumentation side while Gibson shows off an impressive vocal range on this epically somber sonic soliloquy. “Sleep Walking” dives into a wholly synthy/spaced out atmosphere that injects some Electro Rawk stylings into the AOA arsenal and if you dig that sound then just wait for “80s vs 90s” which is truly some Riot Grrrl Rawk meets Duran Duran. “Stargazing” scales back for just a solid Alt-Rawk anthem, “Downside” is a crunchy yet blissful swirling synthetic symphony, and “Summer Days” continues that symphonic trend but adds a bounce and some guitar bravado. “Invisible” signals the beginning of the end with a choir-filled background bringing an angelic aura to this acoustic oration with Gibson’s voice hovering over all with broad strokes like a brush layering a canvas before the quiet “Our Lullaby” closes the first chapter in the book of Arrows Of Athena.
The Ghost Archives arrives on April 26th through Belhaven Records. You can pre-save your copy now by heading here and head here or to the stream below to snag yourself a digital copy when it becomes available. For more from Arrows Of Athena, follow the trail of socials by clicking here, or here.