MOON RITUALS - "AURA / PAINTING A BIRD" 7"

Long elusive Moon Rituals, the primary collaborative output of Sarah Hardinman (of Brick Head and Deaf Wish) and Mikey Young (of... well, you know), makes a surprise return following their synth-drenched self-titled 2018 LP with this new 7" single on Club Seven.

"Aura / Painting A Bird" are a pair of tracks written, recorded, and produced remotely. In sharp contrast to the singularly grandiose soundscapes of their LP, these two tracks trade in the bedroom theatrics for the skip, hop, and snap of introspective Le Bon-esque guitar pop.

Aura might just be the accidental iso-anthem of 2020; a track about fucking off your friends and staying home to read books and chill with your plants. It all hits a bit different when you don't have any other choice, but as Sarah sings, "here's the change, don't fight against it", it's hard not to be inspired to make the most of our solitude.

Both hook-laden tracks feature dense layers of minimal pin-point melodies, intertwining and playing off one another before disappearing just as suddenly as they arrive. This melodic restraint is propelled with the addition of live drums from Boomgates' Shaun Gionis; a swing that (against all odds) keeps all the disparate elements in place.

Song of the summer, song of isolation. Song of making the most of the time you have, and song of finding new ways to connect with your friends. The return of Moon Rituals is a welcome one.