Lightning Books was started by Amsterdam-based Irish musician DM O’Riordan in 2019. Their initial work, including the debut album Pangs, featured finger-picked guitar, hushed vocals, and arrangements of violin, viola, cello, and brass instruments. More recently, their palette has expanded to include influences from retro pop, soul, and country music.
The band’s new take on their old tricks becomes palpable on the twangy haze of “Arrows.” The new single has Lightning Books emphasizing the nuanced evolution of a modern band looking to balance nostalgia and modern times. “Arrows” is an exercise in the limits of the band’s experimentation. The way the hushed vocals creep through just enough to deliver the poetic songwriting allows the quaint instrumentation to evoke a palpable warmth. The band captured that feeling of escaping into the woods for a sense of solace from the busy world we all attempt to navigate daily. “Arrows” feels like a reminder to slow down and soak up all the little things we may miss on the 100-meter sprint we call life. Lightning Books employs this sentiment by crafting a familiar yet rejuvenating lo-fi folk anthem that finds the middle ground between being influenced by the world around you and the artist’s unique perception of the modern folk scene.
