Ears Wide Open: Ariel View
Kevin Bronson on
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Ariel View hail from a place where the surf’s never up — the Inland Empire — but sisters Harmonie and Heaven Martinez got their start doing cherubic surf-pop at backyard parties in Ontario. In a few short years, they’ve expanded the band to include Miranda Viramontes and Nadina Parra and, notably, they’ve expanded their sound.
In July, Ariel View signed to Epitaph Records, which will release the quartet’s new album “Until My Lungs Are Cleared” on Oct. 18. And cherubic surf-pop it ain’t.
It’s an album that could be classified as garage-rock, pop-punk, emo, surf-rock or all of the above, but beyond its insistent guitars and fittingly restrained production (via Joe Reinhart) lays vulnerability, honesty and charm as often only siblings can convey. Don’t be surprised if you are reminded of other sister duos renowned for baring their emotions.
“Summertime” is the latest single to emerge from the album, a song that references those suburban nights spent with somebody special (“Won’t you give me a ride to the backyard show / in Ontario”), while the title track roots around in a messy breakup (“I’ll forget you one day so I could finally sing all these songs / That remind me of you”).
“Friday Nights” is probably the best introduction — it’s a fast-paced, emotionally complicated song. By the end, you may feel towards Ariel View the same way the song’s protagonist feels toward her friend: “Tell me how you feel / tell me all your stories.”
||| Stream: “Summertime” and “Friday Nights”
||| Also: Watch the video for “Until My Lungs Have Cleared”
||| Live: Ariel View celebrate the release of their album with a show Oct. 17 at the Bootleg Theater, with Archer Oh, It’s Butter and Ear Rangers supporting. Tickets.
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