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Through a low-fidelity fuzz, Shrinestone bring a moody soundscape to light with their new single “The Long Way,” channeling an era of indie rock centered around analog samples and slow rhythmic melodies. The new track is a teaser of the band’s upcoming EP Palm, set to release Sept. 1.
The Milwaukee-based five piece formed in 2024, with a focus on creating atmospheric songs punctured by clean vocals gently rocking the listener to a pleasant lull. With two EPs released in the past year — Kismet and Blank and Zed — the group has found a new sound that distinguishes a darker trajectory.
It’s a direction they continue to follow on “The Long Way,” the bones of which can be heard throughout Zed. Lead track “Disdance” contained a less-jagged song structure with guitar licks that sounded hot off the Dayglow grill, while songs like “Thirteenthly” demonstrated the maximalist instrumentation that’s present in the sonic foundation of “The Long Way.”
Shrinestone take care to dance around this Rilo Kiley sound with an own artistry that accentuates their music. It sounds very much like ‘90s alt rock but retains a freshness that’s only furthered by the bright riffs and shiny electronic elements of “The Long Way,” centralizing them into a rustic whole that works in waves.
The new single takes care to not have a single element shine individually. This is a band built to work off each other to create something greater, so it’s no wonder that each instrument is in service to all the others. The guitars are brightly distorted and merge well with Liz Barton’s keys, becoming a tidal wave of synthetic noise washing up on the soundscape. This dreary instrumentation is redefined by Jason Zbichorski’s vocals sitting high above a dark sonic sea.
The song itself is a reference to a book of the same name by Bernard Moitessier, which outlines his participation in the 1968 Golden Globe sailing race. The competition that took him across the world dramatically changed his perspective, pushing him to abandon the race and continue sailing the globe, ultimate landing in Tahiti. It was here that Moitessier rejected the commercialization of passion that was becoming so common.
These starts are blinking got to smooth it out
I never was able to find out
Does it really change the sign
The voice the vision the diamond life
I know we are becoming a part of you
Are we become together in energy
I know you know system is everything
Call my name in the rising rain
It’s in this notion that Shrinestone speak to Moitessier’s point: Pushing through the fog of life for commercial success isn’t the best way to live. Stability is a good thing, but so is the pursuit of life in a carnal and assertive form. The message makes itself known in the song through a mind-numbing static hum that gradually buzzes louder and louder. It’s uncomfortable in an interesting way, reflecting the feeling of time slowly catching up to you.
You eat the wind and the salty spray
On some s*** like this most every day
Not the actor but now the author
Illuminati papers lock down the offer
This rising hum doesn’t go anywhere, accentuated by the constant thumping of drums and bass that seems to tighten its grip on the listener. Meanwhile, the guitars and keys just keep getting louder and harsher, forcing us to succumb to the “rising rain.” This viscosity grows and grows, culminating in what can only be described as a monkey screech that adds one last shock to the song.
Need a change in perspective? Listen to “The Long Way” by using the player at the top of the page or by catching the song live on 88Nine throughout today (6:30 and 10:30 a.m.; 2:30 and 6:30 p.m.).
Jonathan Joseph is a Milwaukee-based multimedia journalist who specializes in art and culture writing (and all things Milwaukee), with work appearing on Radio Milwaukee and in Milwaukee Magazine. Contact him via email or find him on LinkedIn.