It’s interesting to see the musical statements made by bands who have remained active during the pandemic, as various combinations of boredom, social unrest, isolation and disconnect have informed our collective psyche, and in turn creative output, for now almost two years.
If the '80s gave us a musical reaction to Reagan and the threat of nuclear holocaust, what will we be left with when the pandemic is a closed book?
Upstate New York’s Architrave, a synth duo comprised of Jennifer Maher Coleman and her husband Paul, self-released their latest album, Future Ruins, last week.
A 10-song journey into the anxiousness and solitude of the ongoing pandemic era, Future Ruins coaxes us into a dark tunnel, offering a small light at the end that pleads with us to find simple human connection and rediscovery of happiness, or at least, hope.
Written during lockdown, Future Ruins’ layered dance beats mingle with somber bass lines and melodies, evoking the restless uncertainty of 2020. Hints of the Cure, PiL, and even Duran Duran, are sprinkled throughout the album.
Jennifer’s haunting, reverb-infused vocals are lullabyesque, not unlike those of Siouxsie Sioux, injecting a complementary goth sensibility into music that might otherwise verge more directly into new wave.
The band recently released a video for the single "Blissed Out," which can be seen below:
Future Ruins is available digitally, as well as on vinyl, cassette, and CD through Architrave's Bandcamp page.
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Tagged: architrave
