Diving Into the Arms of the Divine, the debut album from indie-pop/dream-pop duo SPELLES is a mystical, cinematic exploration of our inner worlds and the private hells therein.
Made up of Luc Laurent and Kathryn Baar, SPELLES heaved into view when their unreleased song, “Bird in a Cage,” was featured on Pretty Little Liars. Since then, they’ve released a pair of EPs, one self-titled, the other called Skeleton Coast I. Citing influences such as Portishead, Radiohead, and Nina Simone, SPELLES blends different musical influences along with poetic, haunting lyrics to create a dark, mesmeric sound.
Encompassing 11 tracks, Diving Into the Arms of the Divine opens with a short eerie prelude entitled “Into (The Abyss).” Entry points include “Holy Hells,” rolling out on a potent, thumping rhythm suffused with industrial-lite beats as Baar’s Siren-like vocals give the lyrics portentous savours. Gospel-like harmonies imbue the tune with impassioned tones, infusing the melody with keen colouration.
Opening on a graceful piano topped by Baar’s dreamy, delicate vocals, “Beginnings and Endings” cast a gorgeous sonic spell, dripping with luminous, swooning strings riding over an off-tempo rhythm. Tinted with new wave surfaces, “Flesh and Bone” smoulders with shadowy hues while Baar’s voice, conjuring up suggestions of Annie Lennox, infuses the lyrics with mysterious timbres, asking, “Are we just flesh and bone.”
Drenched in sleazy, bluesy tones, “Salvation” rolls out on a mid-tempo rhythm against Baar’s syrupy, Gospel-laced voice. The combination gives the song a ghostly urgency. “Paradise,” with its quasi-classical feel, features a swaying flow that ebbs and rises as Baar’s gliding voice elevates in intensity, backed by sumptuously opulent harmonies.
Seething with cryptic flavours of smoulder-core dream-pop, Diving Into the Arms of the Divine reveals the incredible virtuosity of SPELLES.
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