Aloha Delve Into Slick, Polished Pop Geometry On Little Windows Cut Right Through
By Brody Coronelli - Link: Twitter
Aloha has been operating beneath the surface of indie rock for almost twenty years now. If that’s enough of a reason to call this experimental, progressive outfit a cult act, then now’s the time to do so. The band’s last album- 2010’s Home Acres- took notes from ‘90s emo and lighter progressive rock to form a sound that felt bleak in temperament yet boasting of some of the band’s brightest melodies thus far. To follow this up, Aloha have hit back with Little Windows Cut Right Through-- a vivid, ambient-textured, geometrically arranged, and light-hearted assemblage of pop-rock that acknowledges its pop trajectory and executes it with conviction and groove.
Little Windows speaks through devilishly textured synthesizers, guitar tones, and vocal effects-- each of these brought forward by punchy beats that keep the songs from floating into a tired, indie-rock routine. Songs like “Flight Risk” and the lead single “Signal Drift” are just as much ambient as they are forward-- utilizing slick and quirky production that sits a few rows behind the lead to create a layered, dense complexion that begs to be picked apart. On the other end, “Moon Man” and the exceptionally realized “Don’t Wanna Win” climb into a more general indie-rock archetype that the band occupies with ease and charisma. This leaves “Swinging In The Fences”, “One Hundred Million”, and the infectious, pop gem “I Heard You Laughing”: three synth-heavy, tastefully executed songs that become cosmic in their own right once the layers of instrumentation begin piling on.
Little Windows shows Aloha once again coming through with a sonically dense and winsome album that uses an engaging array of ambience, indie-rock staples, and electronics to induce a memorable sense of sound. Perfect for longtime Aloha fans or new, interested listeners in the market for a good summer record, Little Windows is a portrait of a band that’s yet to get tired of chasing something new.
Score: 8/10
Listen to: “Don’t Wanna Win”, “I Heard You Laughing”
Little Windows Cut Right Through is out tomorrow on Polyvinyl Records