It’s not even Christmas yet and The Arcs have gifted fans another taste of their forthcoming album, Electrophonic Chronic, with dreamy space adventure “Heaven is a Place.” Having only just announced their comeback of sorts just around a month ago with the drop of “Keep on Dreamin’,” their first new release since 2016, it’s a good season to be an Arcs fan, that’s for sure.
“Heaven is a Place” is a full-body sensory experience. It’s one of those tracks that absolutely demands to be listened to with headphones and your full attention, maybe at a volume that’s a smidge too high, but if you give it the care and attention it deserves, it’ll reward you in kind. I find it to be heavy, but not too busy – a controlled drowning in sound of sorts. The track completely surrounds you and pulls you deep into The Arcs’ sonic universe.
Though “Heaven is a Place” and “Keep on Dreamin’” are alike in that they both evoke a sort of cosmic astral projection, “Heaven is a Place” is something I never would have expected to hear from The Arcs. It feels very different from what I’ve heard from them up to this point, yet it feels like a seamless transition. I suppose that’s what makes it so exciting; The Arcs have rarely if ever confined themselves to one sound, and this just further proves it.
“Heaven is a Place” also seems to function as a truly remarkable tribute to the late Richard Swift. Perhaps one of the best examples of tracks whose meaning shifts following the passing of one of its creators, it feels like a promise of better things once we leave this realm, for Swift, and for anyone. This idea feels especially prevalent when you hear the track in tangent with its animated music video. Despite the melancholy, there’s something comforting about it, a reassurance that whoever is gone has gone on to better, newer, more beautiful things. I hope the remaining Arcs can find some of that same comfort they’ve shared with fans with this track.
Two tracks in and Electrophonic Chronic is already shaping up to be one of my favorite new records of 2023, and the year hasn’t even started yet. With two more tracks set to drop before the record’s official release, I know I’m not alone in my excitement for what’s next. If these first two drops are any indication, what’s coming next is something special, so I’d suggest you stay tuned.