Lichen Slow – Rest Lurks

Creativity is not a solo pursuit; artists are always reinterpreting what’s come before in one form or another. But when creative paths come together, like they have in Arab Strap’s Malcolm Middleton and Joel Harries’ new project Lichen Slow, that space in between tends to offer something really interesting.

Rest Lurks takes lead from the pair’s experienced musical backgrounds. Middleton peppers synonymously tongue-in-cheek humour across the album while Harries graces it with airy soundscapes à la his stripped-back solo material. Star track Hobbies poignantly blends these styles together. Middleton’s melancholically sparse verses draw you near before Harries lifts the lid on the darkness with contrastingly celestial vocals, tackling struggles with mental health and depression in the process.

Imposter Syndrome continues with lyrically topical themes alongside jagged, distorted guitars. Pick Over the Bones is imbued with a sense of anxiety through frantic drum patterns, while Garden Gate closes the album with a teary, blissful ambience. Connecting all of the dots between the 12 tracks however is the sense of openly creative expression that Middleton and Harries have evidently embraced in their new project. Lichen Slow is the space between Middleton and Harries’ creative paths and their debut is rich in colour and character.

Listen to: Hobbies, Garden Gate