Between insomnia and longing
Even the intro to Insomaniac feels like a quiet, sad flicker seeping through your ear. This first soft flash of the synth melody has something of Leave In Silence (Depeche Mode) about it – but in a more restrained, almost ballad-like form. The song builds slowly, leaving room to breathe before the vocals unfold and reveal the actual core of the piece.
What particularly strikes me is this clearly palpable heartache, packaged in an electronic framework that never seems overloaded. In the bridges, Arvo slightly increases the tempo, changes pitches, opens up the sound space and thus creates a noticeable dynamic. I like how melancholy and elegance intertwine here – nothing seems random, everything follows an inner rhythm that draws me in emotionally.
Lyrically, Insomaniac resonates with a feeling of alienation and unattainable closeness. ‘I’m outside of your sleeping world / Lie still lover, in darkness and tear’ holds the song together like a lonely thought. Arvo from Canada succeeds in creating an atmosphere between night, longing and quiet intensity that touches without ever becoming overly dramatic.
Listen to "Avro – Insomaniac" on Spotify
Listen to "Avro – Insomaniac" on Bandcamp
Lyrics of "Avro – Insomaniac"
Thirty something
You vicious trendsetter
Stiletto deathwalk
You think you’re so much better
Than the rest of us
Move across the club
Reading your intention
Absence of apprehension
Please…
I can’t hide in your sleeping world
Wake up lover, I will be here
I’m outside of your sleeping world
Lie still lover, in darkness and tears
You know something
You know better
Give me condescension
I’ll write you love letters
Can’t we fight it out
Tie it together
You dine upon my tension
Ignore and never mention
Me…
I can’t hide in your sleeping world
Wake up lover, I will be here
I’m outside of your sleeping world
Lie still lover, in darkness and tears
You know something
You vicious trendsetter
You think you’re so much better
Did you get my love letter?
