Until My Lungs Are Cleared

On their Epitaph debut, Ariel View unite all the disparate strands of their music. Just as it took a while for the bands lineup to jell, it took some time for them to blend all of their ideas -- but not as many years as their influences span. Thanks to Harmonie and Heaven Martinez bright, clear vocals, Ariel View are as deft at revisiting decades-old sounds on the surfy slow dance number Homespun and the title tracks breezy psych-soul homage as they are at updating the heart-on-sleeve confessions of the 21st century. On How Much Longer, they give the emo-pop of the early 2000s a more intimate-sounding makeover, while the lunging chords, heroic solos, and start-stop rhythms of Midnight make it a highlight. Until My Lungs Are Cleared is most compelling when Ariel View combine the far-off and not-so-distant past in ways that are distinctively theirs. As they update the timeless combination of an uplifting melody and heartbroken lyrics on Gone, they find the common ground between pre-pop Paramore and 60s girl group swooning. Similarly, Friday Nights is a fizz-bomb of heartache, jealousy, and regret with an openly queer perspective that makes it feel unmistakably 2010s. Ariel Views songwriting also suggests that theyre well on their way to becoming as quotable as Morrissey, Hayley Williams, and the other lyricists that inspired them. My heart is fucking heavy/It might take both hands to carry it with me, Harmonie sings on Summertime over sweetly retro chord changes that would do Camera Obscura proud. On New York, the band capture the feeling of being with someone while knowing that everything will soon change with lyrics like You say youll do whatever you have to/Just to make your roommates like you. Moments like this make Until My Lungs Are Cleared a promising introduction to a band capable of joining the past and future of guitar pop in catchy, relatable new ways. ~ Heather Phares