The first track on Philly-based Arches‘ full length debut Wide Awake may be titled, “This is Not a Good Night for Walking”, but the spinning psych-rock soundscapes that drape like a blanket over the album’s nine songs certainly make me feel like strolling a leisurely paced marathon. This comes as no surprise considering the album supposedly tells a story of a character that flees the “mundane routines” of city life to become a drifter. As someone who frequently flees the city he lives in a car full of gas and a head filled with images of greener pastures, this story instantly appealed to me.

Cue “Headlights”, a song that appears to soundtrack part of the character’s journey on the open road. Swirling guitar riffs that periodically give way to bursts of sound and crashing symbols beautifully capture the spectrum of emotions one feels during a long drive alone; where a quiet stretch can turn into a panic-inducing slosh down a snowy mountain road. The old adage goes, “It’s the journey, not the destination.” and yet throughout the three minute sonic-road-trip of “Headlights” the narrator throws his hands up in frustration and begs to find a “new place to be.” That’s really all of us would-be drifters want anyway.

Arches, “Headlights” (Wide Awake, Self-Released)

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