London quartet, White Kite, sound like they’ve been put under a spell. New single, ‘Swans’, is the sound of a band trying to navigate their way through the temptations of desire. Lead singer, Louis Shadwick, describes it as “trying to choose between two different kinds of love… how the grass always seems greener when desire takes over, and how you try to justify that weakness to yourself.”
Well if Shadwick’s woozy vocal is the sound of desire taking over, the heady fusion of sonic elements is the justification trying to ground him. It’s the push and pull of these forces that create a beautiful ebb and flow so gorgeously torturous.
Shadwick’s ethereal vocals take off, forking into a tandem of harmonies that seem to drift above all else. Meanwhile, the ripple of SOHN-esque sequences, punchy bass groove and sprinkling of finger-clickers anchor the mix, preventing the song from becoming soporific. Every now and then Tom Dunning’s gorgeous crystalline guitar floods the mix, taking the sound to a whole other dreamy level. It’s a familiar guitar tone, one that has been used in their other tracks and is quickly becoming the hallmark of their sound.
All the elements come together to make a luscious tapestry, powerful enough to envelop the listener. And when you catch yourself playing it on repeat spins you’ll realise that they’re not the ones who are under the spell, they’re the ones casting it.
