A new track from Los Angeles-based act Glacial Palms, “Ruin This City” is thoroughly magnetic. Glistening guitars and dreamy vocal intertwine beautifully, developing into a lushly captivating chorus with haunting vocal layers. The haunting, laid-back soundscape complements more realized lyrical qualities, scathing in their rebuke of corrupt politicians (check the track art) and rampant greed — described as “a wasteland of money hungry, power grabbing religious zealots attempting to send us back to the dark ages.”
The three-minute mark proves especially spine-tingling, as wordless vocal gestures and twinkling guitars guide into riveting melodic shifts throughout the next minute. A swell of vocal catharsis arises around that mid-point, pushing into a feverish array of guitars and soaring vocal emotion into the lovely conclusion. “Ruin This City” is a surefire success from Glacial Palms.
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of October 2023’ Spotify playlist.
