To say we’ve all been suffering as of late would be an understatement. This past year saw an increased rise of breakups, divorces, violence, mental health problems that the world wasn’t prepared for, I believe because we just never thought anything like this could ever happen. Aisles seem to have always known and channels that condemnation of ignorance on their latest track “Disobedience”. This comes after their second single that dropped in June “Fast” ahead of their fifth studio album looking to drop in 2022.
As the precursor to that album that seemingly feels far away, I can immediately recognize why the group let these tracks set the stage for what’s to come. From the start of its nearly minute-long guitar intro, the sense of confidence on the single is palpable and the producing attention to details is wildly impressive. For a track that clocks in at a little over seven minutes, it luckily never wears out its welcome, and even though it softens a little bit as it continues (deliberately so), it never loses focus. Israel Gil’s vocal work has the tenderness and aggression of a political resistance leader. He wants to stir the pot at the lies being fed to the people, but he voices his biggest disappointments with the population at large who seemingly still fall for it. He says at one point in the chorus “Or quit it with the self-pity and for once feel the fuck alive” and I don’t know how much more direct you can get than that.
The rhythms of the song have this interesting fluidity that feels like controlled chaos. A lot of songs like this and at this length have a tendency to go off the rails, but this song’s decision to mix hard rock with lo-fi indie techniques pays off to keep the track fresh and unpredictable. It’s a blending of old and young musical ideas that carry a potent message about individualism and the search for happiness. It might seem like a conundrum that a song about finding happiness is just so angry, but it surprisingly works. Truthfully, it has more punk elements than a lot of pop-punk that we hear today. Thanks to the ethereal quality that sticks its head out during the slower moments, it has juxtapositional elements that just continue to impress. The sexual content never feels gratuitous, and even begins to take a new meaning in the second exhausting half. It’ll be interesting to see how a track like this factors into the full release of the forthcoming album.
The group is operating at top form especially thanks to the powerful guitar and drum work in the track, and at this point the group is pros. If the length of the song might seem intimidating at first, I can say that even upon multiple listens it flies by so quickly. “Are tears are dry, old rules I break, all wounds are scars, it’s so clear now” Gil states at the end, and it’s a reliving final note that foretells a blank slate full of potential optimism awaits, and the same can be said for what Ailes gifts us with next. The song is now available on most major music streaming platforms.
Claire Uebelacker