Warahenege Leads Us To ‘Skyscrapers And Oceans’ In New Single

Manchester-based, new-kid-on-the-block Warahenege has released their newest single ‘Skyscrapers and Oceans’. 

Growing up in Sri Lanka meant that Warahenege had had relatively little exposure to Western music at a young age. While their teenage years saw them exploring genres such as hard rock and power metal, they now find themselves being influenced by bands such as The National, Radiohead and Grizzly Bear.

This song is sweeping, subtle and soothing. Panoramic in scope, ‘Skyscrapers and Oceans’ leads the listener through landscapes of sound and meaning. It explores the depths of caring for someone and floats effortlessly between fantastic writing and a mellow shoe-gaze sound.

A sparse intro soon gives way to a resonant layered sound, aided by the addition of guitar, bass, drums and piano for accent. The piano is particularly interesting, providing a counter melody to the soft vocals of Warahenege themselves. Not only this, but it adds a joyful sound to the experience, giving yet another layer for the listener to appreciate. The bass, meanwhile, creates a solid foundation for the song and sets the general mood – one of resignation, patience and tolerance.

Warahenege takes their time; ‘Skyscrapers and Oceans’ sits comfortably at just over the five minute mark but this is not to the track’s detriment. In fact, it gives time to fully develop a storyline and flesh out all the facets of feeling Warahenege describes. Turning to the lyrics for reference, it is easy to see how artfully this is done:“Maybe you’ll be home/Among the skyscrapers and people/Where your demons have curfews/A great centrifuge to distil you” is just one example of many. 

The best way to describe their lyricism is erudite. Within this one could describe it as nuanced, emotionally intelligent and relatable at its core. It’s not often that one finds words like ‘centrifuge’ or ‘purview’ in a song of this nature but for all that, it is not inaccessible. 

The entire song has a haze around it. The production buffs out the harsher edges and the darker moments that might have existed without it - it almost acts as frosted glass, through which the listener can grasp the meaning but save themselves the negative associations.

‘Skyscrapers and Oceans’ is a pure joy to listen to – it’s out on all streaming platforms now.

 

Chloe Boehm

@chlojo98

Image: ‘Skyscrapers and Oceans’ Official Single Cover