Toronto-based Arlesque unveils ample artistry and heart on “Supporting Role???” The poignant alternative ballad enamors in its array of emotive vocals, moving strings, and climactic atmospherics, thematically navigating one-sided devotion and the importance of moving on from such a dynamic. The narrative transforms emotional exhaustion into a cathartic anthem.
Applause opens the track, giving way to solemn piano and gripping vocals. The delicate piano pulsations and “I sit there in the crowd, looking at your perfect hairdo” lyricism invoke a visceral vulnerability. Heartrending strings ease in cohesively thereafter, moving alongside theatrical vocals for a sound that stirringly reminds of a cross between Rufus Wainwright and Perfume Genius. Trickling, chilly guitars pair with sporadic piano touches for a spaciously inviting soundscape, following the initial chamber-pop balladry with eclectic allure.
“But I sense, a kind of selection, that leaves me out of that connection,” Arlesque’s vocals continue as the piano, strings, and guitar work meld into an especially spine-tingling sequence. The three-minute turn delights in its title-touting “supporting role, again?” vocal haziness, set amidst the lead’s melodic undercurrent, while flashes of strings propel with grandiose force into a gorgeous finale. A pop success that artfully captures the pain of heartbreak yet also the catharsis of moving on, “Supporting Role???” is a replay-inducing gem from Arlesque.
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We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
