One of those Sixties garage punk bands, that’s never what The Ar-Kaics aimed to be. Their 2018 release “In This Time” for Wick was more than just primitive pounding. Even then, the Virginia-based band presented heartfelt rock songs alongside the usual genre-typical bangers. Their new album now focuses more on this approach.
“See the World on Fire” (Feel It / Dig! / Bachelor) has had an unusual genesis. Johnny Ward wrote the album alone over a long period, described in the press release as an album about making albums. It’s a very personal affair, to say the least.
Ward sings with fervor. There’s no song that just casually drifts by. Always filled with emotion and mood. Only “Dawning” ventures into lightness, but even it doesn’t quite let loose.
No longer retro garage punk but expansive rock with a touch of folk. Yet, it’s often upbeat, like in the chorus of “Stone Love”. Still, there’s a weightiness that grounds it all. The whole thing culminates in an epic finale, “Never Ending,” that truly lives up to its name. Nine minutes long, a length that could have once been a whole EP for The Ar-Kaics.
Review: the Ar-Kaics – See the World on Fire: Heartwarming garage punk. – RIFL
