by Conor Lochrie (@conornoconnor)
Aaron Maine, credit where it’s due, is never anything but himself in his music. Under the Porches moniker, the musician has been releasing albums infused with all of the ecstasy and ache of being in and out of love. His latest, Ricky Music, is no different, an at times erratic, fragmented and chaotic listen - heartbreak is always messy, though, so it really shouldn’t sound any other way.
His fourth album as Porches, released again with Domino Records, Maine has taken a more eclectic approach to the eleven tracks here. While still primarily functioning as a synth-pop record, he has deepened his association with the genre this time around with welcome moments of exploration. There’s a wild unpredictability to the album, and it’s intriguing to constantly be wondering where the next song will lead. Consider even the opening two: the melancholic piano and synths of “Patience” lead into the more emphatic rhythm of “Do U Wanna” which is sharply cut with an unexpected cowbell percussion. His vocals are changed at moments - on “I Can’t Even Think” Maine breaks into a falsetto during the chorus.
All of the intensity unfolds at a dizzying speed. No song reaches past three minutes and the chaotic “PFB” lasts only 33 seconds, over almost as soon as it began. Indeed, there are moments when listening to Ricky Music seems like laying witness to a breakdown unfolding in real time. Maine, the artist, refuses to spare the listener from Maine, the person, and it enriches the album.
As always, collaborators are brought in to deepen the sound. Zsela and Dev Hynes (Blood Orange) offer backing vocals on “Fuck_3,” Mitski does likewise on “Madonna,” the truest and most unashamedly pop single on Ricky Music, absolutely teeming with dance floor energy.
Towards the end, Maine meditates on “Wrote Some Songs” as to just what his legacy will be. Will his music live on after him? Much like some musician’s careers, the song is underwritten, ending before it perhaps should have. Hopefully Porches won’t end this way, though - there’s plenty of experimentation in Ricky Music to signal that more can be expected from the indie pop provocateur.