Author: Austin Wagner
Leash is the second single off the upcoming dweller. EP All The Things We Carry, which is due to be released on March 31st. As with the full EP, this song finds two members of the group navigating their grief due to the loss of their friend and bassist along with similar experiences of new vocalist Juan Aguilar. The song is full of guitar distortion and reverb alongside steady, driving drums and very emotional lyricism.
Immediately the song discusses the battle of grief and the unexpected, uncontrollable, and aggressive nature of it. Aguilar says, “it comes in waves / like a hurricane” to truly capture the battle with emotion that one faces after the loss of a loved one. The growled and groaned vocals over the heartbeat of the drums and a melancholy guitar riff result in an emotional energy of the song that is impossible to ignore. The lyrics find the group softly wondering if there was anything they could have done or said to keep their friend here before a wall of distorted guitar comes in alongside a shout for the person to stay.
The energy of the song then shifts to a more ethereal, dream pop sound that feels like a haze just as the lyrics call out for the person they lost to stay and “sink with me.” This motion of the song gives the impression that members of the band can relate to the struggles their friend was going through and are longing for him to be there still so they can endure their troubles side by side.
The wide range of emotions continues to expand as the song progresses with more chaotic production slowly building and distant screaming that feels like a release. Through the lyrics the group seems to be questioning if they are recovering from this experience or if it always stay with them? Do they even want to get to a place where they don’t feel the sorrow of being without their friend?
The song is an outpouring of emotion so many people can identify with as a cathartic processing of the loss of a loved one. The members of dweller. bare their souls for all to see as they publicly wrestle with the loss of a close friend and the resulting music is a beautiful tribute to him.
Behind The Midwest Scene 
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