Lotusbliss’s ability to concoct dreamlike soundscapes have captured a lot of attention over their short tenure so far and look to continue building on this with their latest EP, An Aching Sea. Written about the heavy topic of mental health, the trio’s newest release illustrates the forever-changing topic wonderfully.
Talking about the EP, the band elaborate, “the overarching theme of the EP is becoming aware of your mind’s warring thoughts and exploring how these can be calmed in the everyday – how to fall into the aching sea.” Lead single ‘Unwired’ opens with a beautiful instrumental built up of synths and guitars that moves forward while enveloping us in its sound – dropping us right in the middle. Leaving no time to pause, the song meanders through a series of highs and lows that takes us on a journey towards an EP full of depth.
Single ‘Nightshade’ follows with a rigid guitar riff that maintains tempo throughout but allows additional riffs and melodies to revolve around it. Its darker mood is emphasised by brutal admissions such as “I wish we never laid eyes on each other at all” to highlight the damage these warring thoughts could cause. ‘Dust’ settles into a more electronic, stark sound with scattered percussions and muted synths to match the soft falsetto nicely.
‘A Million (With Regret)’ and ‘Until Now’ close out the EP with a sombre tone that leaves a lasting impression. The former’s anthemic chorus aims for the emotions and hits hard with its drums, while the latter’s sole opening melody dives deeper into the body.
An Aching Sea is a superb EP. Its lush sound is so easy to fall into and allows you to feel every emotion and bump along the way. The fluid manoeuvres into different genres keeps it refreshed throughout, and makes it difficult to grow tired of, even after repeated listens. Lotusbliss have produced something special here.