Ambient English Quartet Worry Party Guide Listeners Through ‘Souvenirs’

Ambient four-piece Worry Party are a Northern English product who construct sonic cathedrals from towering, shimmering pads, subtle melodies, and dynamic, danceable beats. The result is a darkly euphoric sound that conjures comparisons to Canadian electro outfit Purity Ring while straying towards larger, titanic soundscapes. With dual vocals from Steven Chell and Laura Hilton, Worry Party use a layered technique to allow both voices to harmonize and caress and uplift the vocal melodies, curating a trademark sound of sorts.

With the recent release of the SOUVENIRS EP – out March 20, 2020 via Northern Tape – the band has some strong footing to help push their tunes to new heights. A collection of four tunes about self-discovery, the release is fleshed out by a further twelve tracks of instrumentals, remixes, and alternative compositions. Now, as a fitting guide to help listeners through their own self-discovery, Worry Party’s Steven Chell joins us for a track by track rundown of the four main entries on SOUVENIRS.

1. “Traveller”

“Lead single ‘Traveller’ ponders whether or not repeating cycles of behaviour are destructive, or whether they simply reinforce our fundamental nature and should be regarded as one of the few genuine guideposts. The lyric ‘It’s in my veins, it’s in my skin, it’s pushed and pulled through every inch,’ reinforces the latter, but the song as a whole can’t offer an answer. Perhaps people can change, but perhaps every version of ourselves will always have one common denominator, one passion or need or comfort that will always command our attention.”

2. “Beach Blood”

“The follow-up, ‘Beach Blood,’ laments the idea of home, and if the problem-solvers among us can ever feel truly rested. Living on an island, and near the beach at that, means I’ve always had to cross at least two coasts to travel anywhere. The idea of someone having ‘beach blood’ is that they are comfortable with whatever shore they come to rest on. The rest of us like our homes, our anchors, our safety nets; our own islands we can escape to when we need to be alone.”

https://youtu.be/txdmHLoQH_I

3. “True North”

“The second half of the EP looks at relationships as mirrors, with ‘True North’ asking why consensually toxic relationships exist and what they teach us about ourselves. ‘True North’ is used as a metaphor for finding the right path to happiness, to contentment, and yet we constantly steer ourselves off course with decisions and commitments we know will bring us pain.”

4. “Waves”

“Final track ‘Waves’ focuses on one of those tiny micro-interactions from which all of our relationships are formed. If we remember the minutiae of an otherwise throw-away moment with crystal clarity, then perhaps a deeper connection exists than we first realized. We should always afford our company the attention they deserve before we lose those seemingly forgettable moments forever.”

The EP also features ambient instrumental versions, remixes by Crimewave, Xaatu, Ako and Shodashoto, and a cinematic re-imagining by Joey Murphy.

Artwork for ‘Souvenirs’ by Worry Party