Swedish goth newcomers Aethereals introduce their musical realm through Echoes, a concise three-track EP founded in the dark romanticism of classic post punk. Expansive songwriting and an instinctive command of atmosphere allow the band to sound immediately familiar without becoming trapped inside nostalgia.
Sleep opens with a bass-driven, distinctly eighties approach. The performance carries devotion without slipping into excess, while its deep sentimentality gives the track weight beyond its foundations. Guitars command attention whenever they surface, cutting through everything with melodic clarity.
Finish Line follows a slightly more abrasive and direct route. Its urgency recalls the severe post punk attack of Xmal Deutschland, pushing the EP toward sharper edges while remaining consistent with the band’s love for the genre’s classic forms.
The closing title track is also the record’s longest and most expansive piece. Echoes gives atmosphere greater space to develop, introducing a trace of dreampop into the surrounding gothic darkness. Rather than simply repeating the language established by the preceding songs, it suggests how far Aethereals may eventually stretch their sound.
Essential as an introduction, Echoes makes excellent use of its brief running time. The EP presents the breadth of Aethereals’ current vision, and also offers an enticing glimpse of the debut full length album they are now recording.
ZR