“Fragility and vulnerability, things that seem to be rarely exposed in rock music.”
Glasgow five-piece Arcade State recently released the first two singles from their upcoming debut album “Life Is Not Linear“. The group aim to follow on from the success of 2023 EP “A Slave To The Waves” which includes single ‘The Dark‘, and 2022 single ‘Even In The Dark Days You Draw A Smile‘. The latter of these releases has collected more than 42,000 streams which is incredible for an upcoming band like Arcade State.
While the album isn’t due for release until March 2024, the group have been busy creating noise surrounding the release. With a striking hometown set at this year’s Tenement Trail, the group teased what was next for the band. Their setlist was filled with unreleased tunes, two of which are out now: ‘Paper Heart’, and title track ‘Life Is Not Linear‘.
Both tracks begin with guitar, bass and drums at the forefront, leading into an impressive integration of the entire band’s talents. Drummer Jordan Murray‘s dynamic drumming abilities and Lewis Taylor‘s bass playing keep the songs on steady foundations. This foundation is built on by guitarists Cammy Roxburgh and Calum Davidson who will keep listeners engaged with melody enriching riffs that add to the emotion and meaning behind each track. Driving the intended messages are vocals from Ciaran Murray who delivers each word and lyric with power and purpose.
“Life Is Not Linear “
As the title track, ‘Life Is Not Linear‘ probably had more pressure on it than any other single from the album. However, it has coped with this pressure well and the band have produced an incredible opener for the upcoming release. It serves effectively as an introduction at just over two and a half minutes, yet it is also impactful as a standalone single. The emphasis in this single is that “human life is not linear“.
It is a song that pushes a reassuring sentiment, that everyone is going through the same thing. Life is full of fluctuation in positive and negative experiences, and our feelings throughout them. The phrase “life is not linear” is also neither optimistic nor pessimistic which allows the song to resonate no matter our mindset or attitude towards life. The name also gives a hint as to what the rest of the album may be like. With each song, the idea of fluctuation may come in the form of tempos, melodies and moods.
Having a song that serves as a reassuring foundation makes it a song to return to over and over again. It is also the perfect opening track that sets the standards high for the rest of the album.
“Paper Heart”
The second single to be released was ‘Paper Heart‘. Arcade State have described it as their “heaviest and darkest to date” and this is definitely true. Whilst it may be heavy and dark, it is equally addictive, atmospheric and anthemic. It is a tune that sounds amazing live and it’ll be incredible to see people learning the words and singing it back to them at the album launch. This event will take place on Friday April 12th at Oran Mor in Glasgow, adding yet another hometown show for the band.
Like with the title track, there is a lot to listen to but this isn’t overwhelming at all. The thumping beat and mesmerising melody are fused together with lyrics that tell a story. Vocals from Ciaran are vibrant yet again, with lines like “you’ll take this shot through the heart” being sang with vigour and intensity. In both songs, the lyrics and crystal clear vocals portray a sense of fragility and vulnerability. These are things that seems to be rarely exposed in rock music. This shows that they lack the fear of pairing emotion with strong, forceful melodies. It also demonstrates how versatile their talents are as musicians and songwriters.
They have used these singles to establish a foundation that the group can only grow on. However, a recent statement from the band has explained that this album will be their debut, yet also their final release as a group for the foreseeable future. This makes the album, and the singles, all the more important as they delve into discussions of emotions and experiences.