Glass Mansions – Ritual

By: Maggie Stankiewicz

What do you get when you combine a dash of Garbage, a pinch of Veruca Salt, a hint of Paramore and a hearty helping of electrifying synth-hooks? Simple. The electropop-duo known as Glass Mansions. With nearly a decade of touring under their belt, Glass Mansions have graced the state at behemoth festivals like Vans’ Warped Tour and SXSW. Propelled into the spotlight by Jayna Doyle’s smooth and emotive vocals, Glass Mansions is no strange to evocative harmonies and explosive beats. Doyle and musical partner Blake Arambula have come together once again to produce Ritual, an EP that delivers 90’s nostalgia while keeping up with today’s dance-house demands. Over the course of five tracks, Glass Mansions creates a clean narrative that explores self-deprecation, relationships, revelations and relief.

Landmine – A rousing first track, “Landmine” welcomes listeners with gentle twinkles before bursting into a lush soundscape, diving into the world of introspection. Doyle’s voice comes through creamy and commanding, punchy and desperate for some semblance of self-control. The song’s chorus is worthy of getting stuck in your head for an hour or two, blending Jayna’s high energy with Blake’s ambitious instrumentation. “Landmine” is certainly the appropriate title for this opener, introducing the EP with explosive energy and a sense of looming danger for the object of our singer’s affections.

Just Friends – A little angry, a little self-assured, the second song on Ritual is the perfect combination of thumping percussion and one seething songstress. This song speaks volumes about Glass Mansions’ versatility, with a heavy intro and a softening breakdown – a representation of the ebb and flow of anger and the human condition. Jayna doesn’t hold back, standing steadfast and strong in her resistance.

Nightswimming – If you’re looking for a little 90’s nostalgia or if you like the melodic chimes and chirps of an old-school Atari, “Nightswimming” will pull you in within the first three seconds. This track is reminiscent of an experimental Paramore tune, something you might catch onto as the guitars succumb to the power of Jayna’s empowered croon. Exploring themes such as drowning, self-doubt and an unsteady relationship, “Nightswimming” will make you simultaneously want to dance and have a heart-to-heart with your significant other.

If You Need Me/Don’t – A little less emotional than its predecessors, “If You Need Me/Don’t” has a clear message for one unlucky individual – it’s time to hit the road. The penultimate track of Ritual is all about the relief one feels at the end of a relationship that became too toxic, too heavy to entertain. Delving into all the dirty details of a poisonous union, this song will fill you with the courage needed to break free of the demons you fight in the form of other people and misguided love. The ruthless finality of the titular statement is a rite of passage into the warmth of freedom and liberation.

Tunnel Vision – The final song of “Ritual” is the perfect epilogue for the EP’s libretto. Staying true to the title, the song’s vocals and instrumentation is somehow crisper and clearer – a manifestation of the focus and freedom that comes when one has escaped a toxic situation. Blake and Jayna’s styles and talents blend beautifully in this song, complementing one another perfectly as though their focus was concentrated on wrapping the EP up with a beautiful, hopeful bow.

As a ritual is described as a “…ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order,” Glass Mansions have created an EP to be followed ritualistically. Aptly named, each song on Ritual was arranged to describe an action and an outcome that would lead to the desired result; laser-like focus and ambition. Blake and Jayna’s intentions with this EP are crystal clear, a feat that is difficult to accomplish, and they managed to do so without sacrificing the integrity or artistry of the album. Glass Mansions has created an EP in which every song is worthy of becoming a single, but a ritual is nothing if not the sum of all its parts.