Porches is the moniker of recording artist Aaron Maine, based in New York City. He released his fifth studio album All Day Gentle Hold ! in October 2021.
Not unlike some of his more notable contemporaries – Dev Hynes, Alex g – Maine’s catalog is an innovative reprieve from the cavernous and frequently underwhelming indie-pop world in which it is framed, orchestrated through a thematic deconstruction of indie-pop itself (intentional or otherwise).
Nowhere in the Porches discography is this truth more apparent than on All Day Gentle Hold !, which utilizes several elements central to the indie-pop creed (i.e heavy reliance on autotune, drum machines, synthesizers) in ways which are, in the context of the genre, uncharacteristically brash.
In A Fashion, one of All Day Gentle Hold !’s lesser-known cuts and arguably the most emblematic example of this approach, features an almost-over-processed lead vocal, pounding background instrumentation, and an overdriven industrial drum pattern.
Swimming Big, on the other hand, showcases Maine’s unique ability to express a state of being through instrumental and vocal arrangement. Buildups which would traditionally crescendo choose rather to diminish, and perceived moments of pause never fade completely, as if to represent feelings of tepid stagnancy.
All Day Gentle Hold !’s brief 25 minute duration is one of breadth, creating a uniquely compelling experience for any listener.
Listen to All Day Gentle Hold ! below and find @porches_hiii on Instagram.