The sophomore album from the Swedish duo sees them embarking on a colourful and exciting journey through their immersive, synthy sound
Since the release of their debut single back in 2021, Swedish indie pop-duo Marble Raft have been establishing a thoughtful and enchanting sound that demonstrates their engrossing and moving distinctive appeal, culminating with the release of their excellent debut album Geography A. The duo have now released its follow up in the form of Dear Infrastructure, a release that continues to expand upon a sound that is packed full of nuance and charm.
The album has a melodic and ethereal feel to it throughout, and opens with the gorgeously crafted previous single ‘To Have and to Hold and to Break’, a track that is wrapped in adventurous synths, making for a charming and immersive listening experience that feels both modern and nostalgic, with the chemistry between the vocals of Olle Söderström and Gabrielle Werme just adding to this sense of wonder and exploration.
These themes of exploration and adventure are explored throughout the album, with the overarching narrative being one of two fictional teenage protagonists who, driven by curiosity, wander through an imaginary, desolate metropolis. The second track, ‘Here In Your Backyard’ is a track that offers a great showcase of this enchanting vibrancy and charm, and the flowing and stunning nature of the instrumentation and production really brings the track to life.
The second previously released single follows in the form of ‘Rites of Passage’, a track packed full of dreamy textures and expansive layers of creativity, as our protagonists are firmly on their journey at this point and the wonderous nature of the sound reflects that, making for some really memorable and expansive moments throughout that pair effortlessly with the compelling vocals.
The more focussed and pointed ‘Wake Up Call’ follows, providing something of a contrast to the free-flowing journeys that preceded it. The synths feel as soaring and vibrant as ever here, but the track itself feels like it has a sense of urgency that isn’t sometimes found on some of their more wandering and meandering work.
The album’s sense of wonder perhaps reaches its apex on the stunning ‘Marble Halls’, a track written in a 5/4-time signature that explores grand apartments and halls through a narrative that feels spellbinding and ethereal throughout. The feeling of exploration that is such a big theme on the album ties in so well with their sound, and brings every facet of it to life in vivid and picturesque fashion.
The ebbs and flows of ‘Floral Haze’ make for a masterclass in atmosphere and shifting tones and feels, whereas the more defiant ‘Concrete Cathedral’ navigates through hard-hitting instrumentation with a sense of power and creativity that makes for some really empowering moments, as the album’s themes really hit their stride and make for these moments that feel triumphant in style.
‘Neon Signs of Life’ is a track that sounds exactly as the title suggests, packed full of sonic quirks and colourful, vibrant instrumentation as we continue our voyage of discovery and fruitful experimentation. The synths have a really commanding role on this track as they often do throughout the album, and it captures the feel and atmosphere of the album as a whole perfectly through an instantly engrossing and thoughtful chorus.
The album closes with ‘Feral Haze’, a more subdued and carefully crafted track that grows and swells over time, building into something that feels truly rousing and memorable, largely like the album as a whole has done throughout its duration. The vibrancy and charming allure of these indie pop tracks is something that feels warm and creative throughout the duration of the album, with the vivid landscapes of the metropolis that the characters are exploring almost becoming a character within themselves. These themes and the colourful nature of the sound makes for an immersive listening experience that thrusts you into the adventure yourself, and makes for a lush 45 minutes of escapism that whirrs you away into something altogether more beautiful and exciting.
