Arson Whales – Galactopus
Release Date: 7th July 2023
A bit out of left field for what we’d normally cover at Hardbeat comes Sacramento, California-based quartet Arson Whales and their latest album, the 11-track, 35-minute journey through indie-pop/alt-rock goodness. A journey that combines delicate soundscapes, soft, whispy vocals and track names like ‘Spirit In A Wormhole’.
There’s little doubt that Galacatopus sets out pretty early on its claim to the weirdest album title and several of the song names toe this line too, but what is most pleasantly surprising is the easy listening nature of the album. Whilst it may be a few steps further towards the indie-pop vibe that we usually stick to, there’s no doubting the songwriting that’s on show here. ‘Reverse The Rule’ is an addictive and engaging three-minute romp through that feels like it would be well at home in any swanky bar in the corner while the pretentious clientele pretends they don’t exist. That is before ‘Zephyr & Sycophant’ cranks the energy up, starting to feel more at home in a dank club than a squeaky clean wine bar.
There are tracks where things take a bit of a step back, giving you the chance to chill and look out of the window and see the world pass by. The run of ‘Finding Betsy Dar’ into ‘This Chimera’ does just that. Both tracks bring a soft, floaty quality of such a delicate nature you can just drift off and forget your troubles, something that should not be taken for granted in this modern world where the chance to take things a bit slower and regroup should be taken at any opportunity you get. Especially here as the energy rises again for ‘Sonic Eclipse’. Not huge amounts mind, there’s a funky beat here that will get the feet tapping but the guitars and vocals still track that softer, more gentle delicate nature that feels more like 70s pop in places. Closing out the album is the darkest (poor pun intended) feeling track on the album, ‘Blackhole’. This track combines all of the elements of the previous tracks but just powers them up a bit, embracing some of the 80s goth stylings in the vocals despite the still fervently pop stylings. The most unique track on the album for sure.
It’s probably not until you take a step back and realise that this is a band releasing their debut album that it hits home how cohesive a unit they are and how well brought together this piece of work is. The peak is the trio of ‘Reverse The Rule’, ‘Zephyr & Sycophant’ into ‘Spirit In A Wormhole’ but in reality all of the songs have a significant amount of replayability. Arson Whales may be only a couple of years into their journey but there are no signs of inexperience here. Get Galactopus spinning next time you’ve got a decent drive and watch the journey time disappear as you disappear into its 11 tracks of fun.
Listen to the album here:
Find out more about the band, get in touch and buy their stuff through the following links: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | You Tube