If you’ve been following this blog for awhile, then the name Arliston should definitely be familiar to you. The London-based indie pop band first hit our radar in 2021 and we’ve been featuring them in abundance since then. Recent single releases Pisco Sours, 451 and How In Heaven have all featured on these pages, and are all part of their new EP, also called How In Heaven.

By Graeme Smith

As we’ve come to expect from Arliston, How In Heaven is a collection that’s pack full of genre-swapping, catchy hooks and a whole lot of emotion. It opens with its title track, a previous share here on York Calling. In the context of the EP it starts things in a lively fashion, with stirring vocal harmonies, a slow building instrumental arrangement and lyrics full of regret. It’s the perfect start.

451 contrasts the opener nicely with jazzy notes and driving percussion. It’s an early highlight. It bleeds nicely into Pisco Sours which sits at the heart of the EP providing playful electronic textures and a story that mixes nostalgia with melancholy. Chasing Birds opens quiet and reflective before rising into something ecclesiastically soulful.

The EP closes with Backwards, its final single release. It tackles the subject of social anxiety and delivers its message through a tense electronic arrangement and lyrics that become relatable through their vulnerability. It’s another highlight that pushes the Arliston sound in an exciting new direction.

Arliston are a band that just keep delivering. Their music really has everything – vivid storytelling, rich emotions, and instrumental arrangements that are as memorable as they are surprising. I feel like it’s only a matter of time before they’re chart-toppers based on the evidence so far. How In Heaven is their latest triumph.

How In Heaven is out now via the band’s own label, Sob Story Records. You can give it a listen below.