Fresh off watching their album launch at Oran Mor, we are sharing our highlights from Glasgow’s Alt Rock outfit Arcade State’s debut album ‘Life Is Not Linear’.

The album is immaculately laid out to maximise the listener’s journey. Before we get into the tracks, I want to shout out the album artwork, a backdrop of cold blue, messy scribblings and a mythical-looking tree drawning white. A fascinating image and fitting of the beautiful frenzy you are about to hear.

DISSONANT is an aptly named song that flexes the band’s muscle to find harmonically adventurous chord formations and sounds. This epitomises part of the magic that is ‘Arcade State’, a huge anthemic, bellowing and melancholic vocal over what I can only imagine is a guitar transcriber’s nightmare (in the finest of ways). To my ear, the chords may be as explainable as Status Quo’s 12-bar bangers but this is Da Vinci’s code to me. I don’t know what it is and I likely never will but I love the way it makes me feel. We start with a Fatherson-like ambient soulful, heart-driven indie-ballad but as we progress through the song’s journey we have some strings and powering staccato riffs reminiscent and maybe inspired by Biffy Clyro’s ‘That Golden Rule’. This is a great opening to the album as it introduces us to all the sounds and themes that will be explored throughout the album.

After a chaotic finale to NOTHING BUT WAR, we get beautifully jump-scared into THUNDERSTATEMENT kicking and screaming all the way. There is a frantic energy throughout, again driven by high reverb guitars and a weighty beat where every hit counts, every hit is of even more importance to the last.

LIFE IS NOT LINEAR is a clever title for this track as it holds many different levels. If you boil this track down it’s a complex mixture, it’s not simple. It’s loud, it’s anthemic but it’s heartfelt and caring. I LOVE the switch in the beat that accompanies the spoken word sample, this is a huge creative win for me. I admire a song that can make these bold decisions because when executed efficiently, the song reaches a new level of artistry. I also enjoyed the use of the sample instigating an explosion of noise but then hovering over a spacious and comforting ambience.

I wanted to highlight MY WORLD IS GREY as it features Scottish vocalist ‘Kirsteen Harvey’ making it a stunning duet. Both Ciaran and Kirsteen’s vocals being finely blended is a joy to behold. Kirsteen’s vocal adds purity and texture to what already would’ve been a very poignant and emotionally moving track. 

Now, I’m going to go out on a limb here. FLOWERS has possibly the strongest vocal performance on the album. The vast dynamic range of the breakdown section with the calming “shh” followed by the maniacal vocal screams and other shapes of aggression and angst, is an unsettling treat. 

The last song I’d like to talk about is the concluding track of the album PAPER HEART. This song sits nicely in its simplicity, a driving baseline and a vocal delivery that gives urgency and that commands you to listen. There is a great lead guitar sound, a ‘Crawling’ by ‘Linkin Park’ type of tone. I would’ve loved another variation of the breakdown to give one last smack to the gub before they head off. I guess it saves a trip to A&E so maybe I should just shut up and be thankful.

If you get the chance, I’d urge you to buy yourself a ticket to see Arcade State, one of the most emphatic shows out there at the moment. These guys guarantee you a consistent and true portrayal of their recordings.

I look forward to seeing what Arcade State guide into our welcoming grasp next but rest assured it will be loud and it will be impossible to ignore, I can’t wait!

Spend the time to listen to ‘Life Is Not Linear’ by Arcade State here;

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