In this age of chills and vocals, Ian Aaberg lets the heart take over with his jaw-dropping new single “When the Reign Starts to Fall.” This instrumental song serves as the lead track from his upcoming EP, and I must say, it’s quite a heavy debut, understated yet impactful.
“When the Reign Starts to Fall” isn’t a song so much as a sketch of a narrative, a quiet storm that erupts in three consecutive movements. Aaberg lets listeners into a world wherein the inextricable human condition of pushing ahead only to be left at a standstill unfolds. This work captures the raw precision of hopeful motion and immobile reality well.
The track opens with a primary key and a passage of false cheer, with sunlight ahead of the clouds. As it moves along, the arrangement grows more densely layered, coiled, and impatient, mirroring musically the idea of doing everything possible to shake loose. And then, when you’re ready for resolution, Aaberg comes round to the theme again, but reimagined, this time darker and in a parallel minor key. It’s a sucker punch in the most tender terms.
Most striking is how Aaberg succeeds in making stillness cinematic. There are no words here, but listeners will inevitably lace their stories through the melodies. The sound is clean but heartfelt and raw, each note arriving with a compulsion that persists well after the decay.