by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
The words “alarm clock” and “sunrise” put together in a headline put a sense of dread into those of us who habitually stay up and late and regretfully also have to wake up early. Just hearing the phrase alarm clock gives me a visceral reaction, but In the case of Philadelphia’s Our Alarm Clock and their upcoming album, Time flies. Suns rise and shadows fall. Let time go by. Love is forever over all., it’s pretty much the zenful opposite. Built on gentle electronics and meditative synths, the project of Ben Ronsenbach is both lush and evolving.
”A Sealed Up Secret Wish” is the record’s sleek finale, a song that opens with back-masked melodies that dissolve in the distance, making way to an atmospheric fog and an 8-bit sounding synth progression that stings over the layered mix. There’s a calming presence that washes over it all, a welcome turn when it seams all hope is lost. The song gets progressively heavier, but it’s a gradual push forward, never jarring, on’y building. Our Alarm Clock are getting post-rock for the DIY scene, and it’s refreshing in its honesty.