The Arcs are back in a big way with their new dreamily cosmic track, Keep On Dreamin’,” their first new release since 2016’s “Lake Superior.” After teasing fans with cryptic social media posts for the past week, The Arcs dropped their new track in conjunction with a long-awaited sophomore album announcement, Electrophonic Chronic, coming in January 2023.
“Keep on Dreamin’” is mellow magic at its finest, hypnotic and dreamy in all the same ways that made The Arcs so addictive back when they debuted in 2015. Sonically, I find it evokes images of galaxies and spaceships – the verses and choruses feel like floating through space, with the rest of the song driven by drums, like a rocket ship racing from one end of the universe to the other.
Long time Arcs fans probably already recognized the new track from Arcs shows past; it was a live show fan favorite but no studio version ever emerged. Electrophonic Chronic is a collection of songs created while The Arcs were on the road playing these shows, and in many ways functions as a tribute to member Richard Swift, who passed in 2018, and played on these shelved (until now!) tracks.
“This new record is all about honoring Swift. It’s a way for us to say goodbye to [him], by revisiting him playing and laughing, singing. It was heavy at times, but I think it was really helpful to do it.” – Dan Auerbach
The sounds Arcs fans have always loved are present on “Keep On Dreamin’,” yet it feels like a completely new and exciting thing. Perhaps that’s a product of time passed, or maybe of Dan Auerbach & Leon Michels’ respective production prowess. Regardless, the result is something that has fans from all over chomping at the bit for more Arcs magic.
Even nearly seven years later, The Arcs are proving themselves to be what those of us who love them already know, timeless, a forever kind of band. “Keep On Dreamin’” is fresh and psychedelic, and if it serves as even just a small taste of what’s to come, it’ll certainly be “electrophonic,” to say the least.