Arbes is an alt-rock and dream pop group from Melbourne that understands the alchemy of texture. 2015 was the year that Arbes caused a commotion within the international bedroom/dream-pop scene with the release of their debut EP, Swimmer. The EP swiftly rose to Bandcamp’s dream-pop best-sellers page, sitting next to US heavyweights Beach House. The band’s 2016 EP Psalms harnessed more detailed sonic experimentation with soothing and warm soundscapes. But Arbes has always possessed something grittier, wilder, and expansive emotional depth that has only become more apparent with time.
Arbes’ forthcoming debut album, Counterways, released on November 1, invites listeners into an unusual sonic world of atmospheric depth. Comparisons can be drawn to New York post-punk of a more colorful bent, running Blondie all the way through to Gang Gang Dance. The album’s dream-pop dimension brings to mind Cocteau Twins. At the same time, its grittier, art-rock moments, colored with ambiance, feel akin to Deerhunter—glimmering flashes of psychedelia channel the likes of Melody’s Echo Chamber. Front woman Jess Zanoni’s soulful, oracular voice is anchored by the earthbound brambles of prickly guitar and brushstroke percussion, where all is tethered to a surface of unearthly detail and resonance.
While the band is unashamed of their influences, you can hardly tell where they found this spellbinding sound. On their new single, “One Metaphor,” the band employs hypnotic experimentation and blends it with infectious pop melodies for an ethereal sound they can call their own. What starts as a psychedelic deep dive into nuanced sonics slowly evolves into a spacious pop-rock ballad with glistening guitar work. “One Metaphor” never ceases to grow. Throughout the runtime, Arbes is able to draw the listener in with left-field techniques only to resolve the sonic conflict with soaring vocals. Therein lies the magic of Arbes; they are not meant to be defined. The band seems hellbent on reimagining old tropes into something mystifying and refreshing, and for a band only on their second album, their lofty vision already feels fully recognized. You can tell by the way they structure their songs that Arbes’s intent is to transfix the listener and pull them into their world in order to understand the head-spinning musicianship on display better. “One Metaphor” only scratches the surface of Arbes’s expansive new album. The new single introduces the band as genre-busters, a band fearless in their approach but purposeful in every sonic shift.
