AQUILO - SOBER EP
Ryley shares her thoughts on the latest Aquilo EP release, Sober, and lets you know whether she thinks you should listen or not.
Growing up in a population of 1,500 people in a small town in the northwest of England, it was inevitable that two incredibly talented musicians would eventually run into each other and make some music together. Thank goodness they did.
After two studio albums and seven EPs, Aquilo have just released another 4-song EP and this one is a doozy. Tom Higham and Ben Fletcher have done it again. The English duo have perfected their craft after gaining massive recognition for their first single, ‘You There’ on Soundcloud in 2014. They played their fourth ever live show at Glastonbury that same year and six years later, their chilled electronic sound has defined them as artists without the pressure of commercializing. Now with over 250 million streams on Spotify and featured on every coffee house playlist, Aquilo is on heavy rotation all around.
Aquilo’s newest EP, Sober is the first release of new music since their sophomore album, ii in 2018. The previous album felt like a transition into a new sound, and this EP is no different. Releasing music during a pandemic is hard enough, but back in mid-April, Ben and Tom shared a behind-the-scenes look of how they have been creating songs - in their shared kitchen at home.
The album title and opener, ‘Sober’ was the first single released - and what a comeback. It is clearly the standout track with an ephemeral mood that puts you in a trance. It is a catchy song with a calming melody. The lyrics carefully use sobering up as a metaphor for getting over a relationship, “Just ‘cause someone says it’s over / With their head upon your shoulder / And suddenly you’re sober.” A great tune.
Some might call them experts on sad songs, but it is the beautiful instrumentation and raw lyrics that cut right to the core. With stirring synths and piano ballads, Aquilo’s ambient dream pop melodies force you to stop and listen.
‘Just Asking’ is a simple song with the most somber sound out of the four. It also happens to be the shortest in length, with the repeating plea, “I’m just asking you to stay.” The lyrics speak for themselves and those kind of songs do not come around often.
The gentle and comforting sound of ‘Always Forever’ feels like an early summer morning drive by the countryside. The falsettos are soft-spoken, uncovering deep layers of their complementary voices. With production on the back burner for this one, the melancholic songwriting is its focus.
In a sense, these four songs explain multiple stages of overcoming a breakup of some sort, ending with ‘Moving On’. This closing song showcases their sonic advancement and confidence in changing their sound. They have turned to producing everything themselves, and this song is definitely the most experimental. Rather than their stereotypical sad, downtempo sound, this song is the most upbeat and energetic one on this list, pushing themselves outside their comfort zone with a smooth and funky beat.
And we are totally here for it.
Ryley Remedios
★★★★★