West Virginia, USA-based Auric Echoes appear on our pages for the first time with their third studio album, Division for Human Ascension.
By Graeme Smith
Heavier and more experimental than their first two albums, the band took inspiration from the likes of black midi when arriving at its sound. I say ‘sound’, singular, but in reality, Auric Echoes don’t stick to one sound across this album. Lyrically, it touches on themes of post-humanism, existential dread and a modern over-reliance on technology.
The album starts with the simmering, moody vignette I See Smoke. Sparse, claustrophobic electronica meets distorted vocals in the perfect scene-setter before Ballad of Malcolm opens things up with a terse yet expansive jazz-rock moment. It bristles with a sense of adventure when it reaches full canter and proves an early highlight.
From there we are taken on an immersive journey starting with the echoing percussion of Multiplicity, moving into the ghostly All Your Bets in All the Wrong Places, then onto the dreamy shores of A Long Golden Tether and Nosedive. Crash injects some urgent energy to proceedings before Body Song gives us rumbling bass and edgy hard rock. The album is then rounded off by the timeless piano-led ballad of As One Over the Sea and the lingering atmospheric …When He Found Me at the Hotel Bar. Together the pair provide a surprisingly gentle send-off.
Auric Echoes has a sound quite unlike anything I’ve heard before, ranging from melancholic post-rock to brassy jazz. Their new album is a trip, one that I will happily take time and again. There’s so much at play across its ten tracks that it demands multiple listens. If you’re looking for a record to get lost in today, then look no further.
Division for Human Ascension is set for release this Friday, 12 July 2024, available to buy on vinyl and CD.