Listen: Loneliness Pt. II - Aaron Taos x Spill Tab

Both Spill Tab and Aaron Taos featured on these pages in quick succession in February 2019. I’d like to think that I personally brought them together, because on Loneliness Pt. II they have collaborated to make something just a little bit wonderful.

Loneliness Pt. II is a little more grounded and straight up than what I have heard from either artist before, but it really gives them both the space to shine. The song opens with a traditional melodic progression, Aaron’s vocal wrapped in reverb, giving a sense of music played to darkened rooms in a way that reminds me of dark nights searching for hope in The Roadhouse. Claire from Spill Tab lends her vocals to create a duet, and instantly turns Loneliness Pt. II in something that feels earthy and human, two star-cross’d lovers facing off against the world.

The gently played instrumentation forms the perfect home for the bruised vocal duet that Spill Tab and Taos have created, before a heart-breaking guitar riff eventually plays the role of some unknowable choas, consuming them both in darkness, amidst percussion that sounds like gun shots.

Loneliness Pt. II is a follow up to a song Taos originally made in response to a bout of depression, a tribute to the at-the-time girlfriend who saw him through the period. Having long wanted to recreate the song as a duet, Taos found the found he was looking for when he heard Spill Tab’s Calvaire. He reached out to her to ask if she would be interested in a duet, and as he explains, she said she was:

“I’m honored that she was and then when I finally heard what she had written I was blown away. Her vocals are so beautiful and haunting and in my opinion add a really unique perspective/vibe to one of my favorite songs I've ever written.”

Watch: Communication - Aaron Taos

Aaron Taos' Communication feels like a tripped out love anthem for our time. Weird melodies slide over one another in a way that borders on discordant - like an old cassette that has seen a little too much love, the notes seem to bend and swerve and nothing feels objective. Atop of this are Taos’ vocals, which emphasise the need for communication and focused quality time in an age where such things genuinely feel far more precious and valuable than the thousand-pound smartphones we carry around with us.

I’m increasingly a strong believer in the importance of being able to talk about things with your significant other… Without clear communication it can be too easy to wind up make assumptions about what the other person wants or feels or intended with a certain action. It’s something Taos talks about when describing the motivation behind the song, including the influence of his therapist parents:

”Communication is about the importance of talking things out with your partner. I'm a pretty open person, so when there's something not sitting right between me and someone (be it lover or friend) I'm quick to want to acknowledge the issue and attempt to fix it. As I mentioned in the song, both my parent's are therapists, so blame in on that. In any case Communication is about the importance of airing things out.”

There is a psychedelic R&B feel to this that really jives with my tastes - male vulnerability and openness combined with soulful instrumentation through a weird 70s filter. It’s totally my jam, and it should be yours too.