– featured image courtesy of nicola gell –
a well-received debut project can be both reaffirming and a motivating tool to expand on its most resonant features. the austin quartet reddening west latched onto this philosophy, using the framework of their 2016 extended play where we started as a reference point as they meticulously crafted their saturated, sprawling debut full-length, deltas, an intimate album preoccupied with existential thoughts on transition and change.
matt evans wrestles with the aforementioned themes throughout “even if,” the first preview of deltas, a reflective narrative couched in hesitation, reservation, and self-doubt. enveloping evans’ sometimes-desolate imagery is the bucolic warmth so recognizable in reddening west’s arrangements. a loose, organic heartbeat is a comfortable foundation for niamh fahy’s cinematic string counter-melodies, an affecting punctuation to the track’s lyrical sentiments.
taken as a cohesive unit, “even if” is a sonic embodiment of the wide-open vistas the mind’s eye occupies in a contemplative state such as this, a powerful rumination on complacency and vigilance indicative of reddening west’s slow-burn approach to songwriting.
deltas arrives september 21st; it is currently available for pre-order and can be pre-saved on spotify. its lead single, “even if,” premieres today on the dimestore. listen in below.
Dimestore Saints 