Opener ‘The Pact (Intro)’ sets the blueprint for the album; ambience, a piano motif, then a bright synth lift that widens into guitars, coming across as an anxiety spike that resolves into clarity.
‘Daylight’ follows as a reassurance anthem, with soft‑filtered vocals, a subtle thump, and a chorus that sits right in the pocket. It’s an early one‑two that shows how Alvarez builds hooks without overloading the mix.
Across twelve tracks, the record keeps shifting its weight without losing shape. ‘Crumble’ leans into friction, chords grinding under a lyric about trying to let go, while the self‑titled ‘ARENTUMINE’ floats on hazy guitar and negative space.
‘Let Loose’ is the first real burst of adrenaline, a jog‑paced tempo with a shouty ear‑candy detail tucked in the corners. ‘Alleyway’ dips into post‑punk grayscale; ‘Gray Sunset (Interlude)’ is a breather that resets the emotional frame; ‘Lostboy’ pulls in a soft‑psych shimmer and clean guitar stabs.
Side B nudges from restlessness to resolution. ‘Freefall’ and ‘Only1’ stretch the synths wider and let the drums speak up; ‘sideswiped (interlude)’ tightens the focus again before the closer lands.
The title track, ‘Wasting Time,’ is the payoff: patient, layered, and easily the biggest‑feeling production here. It builds from chiming guitars into a stacked vocal refrain (“keep wasting time”), then opens to a duet with Elliana Torson, whose entrance tilts the song from solitary reflection to dialogue.
Alvarez has said ‘Crumble’ and ‘Wasting Time’ are a call‑and‑response, with his perspective on the former, and the ex’s on the latter, which gives the album a quiet narrative snap when you loop back to the start.
Production‑wise, this is a step up from the rougher edges of early drops. The vocals sit higher; the guitars bite without muddiness; the drums are dry enough to cut through the synth wash. You can hear the bedroom origins, but the detailing - drops, pad swells, chopped moments - reads bigger than that. Several outlets have already clocked the blend of electro‑pop lift and indie grit, and the album plays to that strength by refusing to stay in one lane for long.
What makes ‘Wasting Time’ click is how straightforward it feels. The songs don’t try too hard to be bigger than they are but still carry enough lift to feel memorable. Alvarez keeps the focus on strong melodies and clear hooks, with a production style that supports rather than overshadows the rest of the track. It’s polished in the right places but never too clean, leaving just enough texture to keep the emotions real.
Overall, ‘Wasting Time’ is less about loss than about transformation. ARENTUMINE take the theme of wasted hours and turn it into a defiant statement, proving that time spent chasing sound, experimenting with textures, and refining their voice is anything but wasted.
It’s their most cohesive work yet—an album that lingers because it doesn’t try to rush away. It’s cohesive, replay‑friendly, and confident enough to be vulnerable. Start with ‘Daylight’, ‘Crumble’, ‘Alleyway’, and let the closer do the rest.
Soph Johnson
Image: ‘Wasting Time’ official album cover
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