London-based duo Arliston are no strangers to this blog. We’ve been covering their music since 2021 and they’ve featured no less than ten times on these pages. They’re back with their final release of 2023 which shows us a different side of their sound. It’s called Thawed.

By Graeme Smith

Feature photo by Wolf James

Thawed tells the story of a fictional character who is trapped in a cyclical loop of behaviour, triggered by the negativity in the press and made worse by illusions. The track sees the band introduces some edgier elements to their usually dreamy sound, with undertones of Americana and contrasting British indie.

It’s been a big year for vocalist and instrumentalist Jack Ratcliffe and instrumentalist and producer George Hasbury. 2023 saw them release their third EP How In Heaven, hit 2.7 million streams on Spotify and gain support from BBC Radio 1, Amazing Radio and Spotify Editorial.

Thawed is out now via the band’s own Sob Story Records. You can give it a listen below.