Matthew Barnes, aka Forest Swords, is back. Following recent single "The Highest Flood", new release "Arms Out" is the second taste of his forthcoming album Compassion.
The hypnotic track demands repeated listens, with a varied pallet of rhythms and sounds dancing in and out of the spotlight across nearly six minutes.
Despite the sheer number of sounds throughout, the song's dramatic arcs feel totally natural. Choppy vocals, shrill strings and tribal drums all take centre stage throughout, while the atmosphere might be poignantly sparse one moment, and lush, swelling ambience the next. Bright moments lift the otherwise dark atmosphere, like the sun illuminating the sky between gloomy, grey clouds.
Compassion is Forest Swords' first album since 2013's Engravings, and will be released on May 5 through Ninja tune/Inertia.
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