With a borrowed drum machine and a collection of reverb pedals, Arliston have created a mesmeric, hypnotic track, which blends elements of hip-hop and syncopation with their trademark atmospheric production. Using a looping 10 chord sequence, combined with rich layers of harmony and rhythm they have forged their most intriguing song to date.
Lyrically, the song dances around the comparison all of us make between ourselves and others, made clear by the chorus line “still staring at your pixels, you’re better than me.” Jack commented, “we loved the idea that the way the repeatedly looped chords mirrored the loop that it’s easy to get stuck in, in terms of comparison of yourself to others – it seemed like the song version of an onomatopoeia, if that is even a thing.”
Jack also admits, “The title, I Have No Honour is a bit of an abstract one: it’s meant to refer to your infidelity to yourself. In this situation where you see other people and feel worthless in comparison, you don’t stay faithful to that idea of yourself that has intrinsic worth. It’s sort of internal un-faithfulness or dishonourableness.”
With influences ranging from Victor Taiwo, Ben Khan and Nao to Matt Corby, The National and Bon Iver, Arliston have a lot of ground to cover, and they have certainly done so in their latest offering.
‘I Have No Honour’ will be available on all major streaming services on June 14.
