Live Review: Ryan Hemsworth 'Afterglow'

It’s only been a minute since Canadian do-it-all RYAN HEMSWORTH gave us the playful and inventive 'RYANPACK VOl. 1 & 2', but his latest track, ‘Afterglow’, which has surfaced from nowhere, is something a little more pared down.

There’s gently plucked guitar, tinkles of piano and glockenspiel, interesting electronic elements, soothing cello from Keira McArthur, and the faintest whispers of vocals from Hemsworth himself. The wistful, woeful melodies culminate in the closest thing that we’ve heard to ‘cello trap’; it’s idyllic and longing and reflects Hemsworth’s ‘happysad’ aesthetic to a tee.

The only explanation for the Soundcloud audio is a note saying ‘fiona apple in "the first taste" music video (1996)’. It seems to work best if you play ‘Afterglow’ whilst watching the Fiona Apple video on mute (see below). The song is beautiful and slowed down and the essence of ethereal-underwater-otherworldly-drifting-off-to-sleepy goodness. Play it whilst you’re thawing out in front of an open fire. That’s what they do in Canada, right?

Ryan will be in Australia at the end of September as part of Listen Out festival, playing alongside Childish Gambino, SBTRKT, Odesza and Rae Sremmurd.

Words by Katie Rowley

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RYAN HEMSWORTH 'RYANPACK VOL.2'