Arlie’s debut EP on the Atlantic label fits in well with the predominant form of indie rock
on the internet. The sound palate is soft and hazy, but the tracks keep the listener moving with
thick drums and fat bass lines. The lyrics are sentimental and nostalgic, the vocal performances
are generally mellow, but get intense on the choruses. A mythology of spaceships and travels
through outer space exists in the band’s album covers, music videos, and spotify description.

Arlie is made up of multi-instrumentalist and lead singer Nathaniel Banks, guitarist
Carson Lyngstad, and drummer Adam Lochemes. Andrew Sarlo provided production and Jason
Kingsland mixed the project. I think Wait shows a lot of potential and contains a lot of great
moments. I love how “water damage” stacks the mix and builds larger and larger, with loud but
well-mixed synth sounds. I love the playful and sweet lead that kicks off the opening track, “big
fat mouth”. I love the synthetic edge to “tossing and turning”. However, for all of Arlie’s good
ideas, they overall fail to find a sound to stick to. “too long” is a cheesy, piano-led song, that fails
to tap into any of the charm the band creates with the prior tracks. Here they sound more like
montage music than the psychedelic indie band we hear on “big fat mouth”. “didya think”
similarly opts more for a Hamilton Leithauser brand of indie with straightforward arrangements
and grand vocals that sound simply out of place.

But these shortcomings are not an excuse to miss out on this project. Wait contains
great tracks- “big fat mouth” is a personal favorite. If you are a fan of the electronic edge of the
soft side of indie, this project could do a lot for you. It’s 6 tracks, just 22 minutes, and for all of its
faults stays entertaining from front to back.

Recommended: 1, 4

RIYL: The Walters, Alvvays, Hot Flash Heat Wave, The Undercover Dream Lovers