A gorgeously swelling intrigue shines across “at Variance,” a standout new track from Modeling, a trio based in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Their art-rock sound feels fit for big screens and stages, conveying an illuminated grandiosity in its electronic textures and rhythmic interplay — and also in the track’s inspiration: Justin Peck’s The Decalogue with New York City Ballet.
“What’s happening to us?” vocal contemplations enamor within a whirring aesthetical glow, with strings and pit-pattering percussion melding with enjoyable intrigue. The ceaseless sense of movement, both physically and emotionally, are echoed in the music and lyrics — thematically hinting at change in relationships and self. “Suddenly, a disconnect, it lingers and it spreads,” the lush, steady vocals let out, later referencing how “we spin our sentiments in an endless pirouette.” The “what’s happening to us?” questioning then returns with fantastic intensity, into a blissfully ambient finale. “at Variance” is a beautifully memorable success from Modeling, which comprises brothers Connor, Ryan, and Cuinn Brogan.
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
