This piece was originally featured in AM01 — Issue One of Ascribe. Click here to read it alongside the rest of the issue.
My adoration for everything Write Home creates is not something I’ve ever been quiet about. I spent the better part of the last year or so raving about the masterpieces that are “Wasting Away (ft. Rory Rodriguez of Dayseeker)” and “The Ghost of Fuschia (Ft. Florestan Durand of Novelists),” both of which find the band exploring different influences that have been apparent in their work before, but never center-stage.
The Canadian duo (Billy Melsness & Robin Parsons) have dabbled in various realms of rock throughout the years, though defining them as any particular genre seems to be a fruitless endeavor (and, if attempted, an unjust one). Their latest release, “The Eyes of a Goddess,” bridges the gap between the ethereal, near- ghostly sound that is signature to artists like Sleep Token, and Write Home’s roots in post- hardcore.
It’s haunting in the best way — far-gone limerence and pedestal-worship in auditory form, while somehow maintaining a delicate balance that pulls the listener out from and into overwhelming waves of emotion.
This emotional tug-of-war isn’t consequential. Like everything Write Home does, this is by design through deliberate and careful production and lyricism. “‘The Eyes of a Goddess’ is our most atmospheric and dreamy piece to date, drawing heavy influences from post-hardcore, emo, and post-rock,” Melsness says.“The song ebbs and flows through massive anthemic refrains and soft melancholic verses to parallel the love and loss contained within the lyrics.”
Write Home’s lyricism has always been one of their most defining strengths, separating them from many of their contemporaries. Melsness and Parsons lay it all out for their audience to consume and interpret as they please, while still providing line after striking line.
“Since a muse was directly responsible for the song’s creation, my vision for it was to capture the unique feeling of infatuation and attachment I felt for them, and amplify those feelings to a divine level of devotion and veneration,” Melsness continues. “This story ultimately ends in separation, and thus, the song’s primary subject matter is the yearning and reminiscence of this heavenly figure.”
Such vulnerability and dedication to the creative process as a whole is rare. It’s something listeners yearn for as they seek solace from the often shallow and surface-level releases that have permeated rock music in recent years.
For Write Home, every aspect of the songmaking process is an art form. Production takes however long it takes (I recall hearing an earlier version of “The Eyes of a Goddess” in the summer of 2021). Lyrics are written with intention. The art direction of any accompanying merchandise, music videos, and cover art will always improve upon the last.
With each release, the duo redefine themselves — and by extension, the genres they immerse themselves in — with ease.
Write Home is the band that rock music has been desperately craving for many, many years. “The Eyes of a Goddess” is them at their best, though I’m sure I’ll say that for each subsequent release that Melsness and Parsons choose to grace us with.
