South London duo Arliston (Jack Ratcliffe and George Hasbury) share the delicate and emotive new single ‘Monks of Lindisfarne’, the first track from their upcoming album, Disappointment Machine.
Draped in analog-sounding production and warm, muted guitar and drum tones ‘Monks of Lindisfarne’ showcases Arliston’s poignant storytelling capabilities. Comparable to The National and Big Red Machine, the tracks pensive tone and vocal delivery unravels the heartache and bitter taste of romantic rejection. Through a gradually build, the soundscape expands as layers of swelling piano, bass and subtle electronics enter before a processed vocoder vocal leads the latter part of the track, highlighting the experimental edge in the bands sound.
Reflecting on the emotional tension of this single, as well as the song title’s origin, Jack Ratcliffe shares:
“‘Monks of Lindisfarne’ is a Peep Show reference. The quote from the show is when Jeremy claims that he is doing the ‘honorable’ thing by telling Mark that he is in love with Mark’s girlfriend, Mark replies, ‘No! An honorable man would have become a monk, or cut his nuts off, or gone to Morocco.’ This was one of the (many) oblique references I made in a panicked draft of a long message to someone, attempting to say something along the lines of ‘don’t worry if you don’t feel the same way, if you don’t, I’ll just become one of the monks of Lindisfarne.’”
On their sonic approach that blends electronics and folk comparable to Bon Iver, George Hasbury details:
“We fought with the arrangement of this one. It originally was an entirely synth-based song, but it really turned a corner when we layered up the guitars, and in the end, we began the whole record with just guitar. I really enjoy the way this song starts out as a folky little guitar riff and then blossoms into this 80’s synth chorus thing. The strings also add just that extra layer of class to the production.”
‘Monks of Lindisfarne’ will leave listeners in a state of reflection, pondering their own amorous missteps or arrested by the intuitive and emotive soundtrack. As Arliston blends folky serenity with lush synth landscapes, they craft a sound that is both timeless and modern, inviting listeners to join them on a deeply personal journey through the complexities, both sonically and lyrically.
Listen below:
