Jagged sonic edges meet soft, fragile melodies head-on in the romantic chaos that is “Chains of Heart.” The chain-reaction of energetic beats started by this song doesn’t end when “Ghostwriter” begins to play; in fact, it only grows stronger. Melodic colors dance and make merry as though trapped inside of some kind of audiological kaleidoscope as we listen in on “The Distance Between Us.” A staggered, stomping groove seems determined to suffocate us in warmth and compressed white noise in “Unsolved Mysteries.”
Tension finds a place of solace within “Painted Veil” much as runs rampant in “Worlds Collide.” This is SoloS’ self-titled, 2020 EP, and though it’s often impossible eclectic compared to mainstream alternative rock records, it’s easily one of the most engaging works I’ve reviewed lately. Utilizing intricate bands of texture as frequently as they do standardized components like drums and guitars, SoloS construct an overtly-synthetic symphony of indulgence and introspections, the best of which, I might add, feel far more organic than anything the duo has released so far. Simply put, this is premium indie rock from a syndicate as talented as they are compositionally witty.
Listen to SoloS on BandCamp
The string play in SoloS isn’t the primary focus for most of the material here, but it’s definitely a subtle flashpoint of energy in “Ghostwriter” and “The Distance Between Us.” “Painted Veil” organizes its synth parts ahead of the strings, which affords the percussion a little extra room to strut in the forefront of the mix (something that you certainly won’t find in any major label pop/rock songs this April).
The stylization of the bass parts in “Unsolved Mysteries” and “Worlds Collide” adds a similar effect to the drums, but truth be told, there isn’t a single instance in this tracklist where they don’t feel like the most physical element in the music. The lyrical narratives in SoloS are undeniably multi-interpretive, mostly because of the decadent compositional style being employed by the band in this EP, but not exclusively. There’s a lot they’re trying to get out on the table here, and considering how smoothly they were able to tie everything together, I think they deserve quite the round of applause indeed.
SoloS is a very involved listen no matter how many times you’ve already sat down with its six unique songs, but I would recommend it to both audiophiles and occasional indie rock fans nevertheless. The last half-decade has provided us with a lot of incredible works in surrealism, postmodernism and experimental rock, pop and hip-hop, but in the case of this record, I get the impression that we can expect a lot of consistency out of SoloS as they broach this next chapter of their professional story together. There’s still some room for them to continue growing and maturing with the music they make together, but as of this April, I think it would be inaccurate to suggest that they aren’t one of the premier indie acts to follow in 2020. They’ve got my attention, and I’ve got a feeling they will yours a lot sooner than later.
