Arliston share debut album ‘Disappointment Machine’
The duo get sincere on their first full-length offering.
Photo: Arliston
Starting off with the soft and heartfelt What Did I Think Would Happen and setting the scene for the rest of the album to follow suit, Arliston — made up of duo Jack Ratcliffe and George Hasbury — firmly land with the introduction to their debut album. Speaking on unrequited love and wondering ‘what if?’ for however long, Disappointment Machine tells the tale of love and everything that happens in your 20s and 30s that leaves you so very confused and lost.
On the theme of the album, Jack says, “I think we all know that if your love for someone was reciprocated, you would learn about the fallibility of that person, their flaws. But, because it’s unrequited, they stay forever in that status of ‘perfect’.” The album comes after the demise of Jack’s three-year relationship and a surprise romance afterwards that perhaps held more significance in such a short period of time than the breakdown of his relationship, leading him to write the songs in the space of two weeks.
We’ve all been there; thinking someone is perfect for us, but knowing all too well that you cannot force them to love you in return. We think about moments together and wonder what went wrong, yet we know that being friends is better than not being together at all.
Tracks like Nests, Sleep Well Bean and Time Lost sit in their mellowness, making for some of the best parts of the album and leaving a lingering sensation for those who feel everything. With a sound akin to that of The National and lyrics that would give the sadness of Phoebe Bridgers a run for her money, what Arliston do, they do well.
This album is one for sitting with your sorrow and feeling every emotion, reflecting on past times with someone who left a lasting stain on your life. It’s for the true lovers; the yearners; the ones who give and never take.
Disappointment Machine is out now via Sob Story Records.
