Single Review: "Pluto's Kiss" by Aaron Harrell (feat. Joey Holiday)

Aaron Harrell is a solo musician hailing from the eastern part of Tennessee. He tends to lean more toward a progressive post-hardcore style with his writing, with all of the classic noodling, heavy spurts, and strange time signatures that you can enjoy. Back on August 2nd, Harrell released a bombastic and groove heavy track titled “Pluto’s Kiss” while recruiting the sensual vocal talents of Joey Holiday to add to the mix.

“Pluto’s Kiss” is exactly what I described previously for this genre: a satisfying mix of modern progressive post-hardcore, or “Swancore” for you diehard Dance Gavin Dance and Hail The Sun stans, that indulges the senses; your feet will tap, your hair will stand up, and your mind will race to keep up with the constant, impressive changes in time signature and tempo. The beginning of this tune sets you up to think this listening experience is going to be smooth, with a little bit of an ominous sounding R&B feel. But, as the rest of the song unfolds, you’ll find it’s anything but something Usher or Ne-Yo would put out. If this song was a novel, the opening would be a heart wrenching exposition, followed by almost 2.5 minutes of pure climax (pun not intended; chill out) that exudes a range of hard hitting melodies that drag you in and leave you hanging on a cliff, only to be pushed off by the next barrage of intense riffs. It all reminds me of early, “Whatever I Say Is Royal Ocean” Dance Gavin Dance, with the deep yet sometimes shrieked harsh vocal style and crunchy lead riffs, and the sweet counter melodies that sound like the flavor of honey produced in a Hail The Sun, Sianvar, or Royal Coda song. 

Overall, “Pluto’s Kiss” is the total package for any post-hardcore fan. It’s a rollercoaster of composition and sound that will still appeal to anyone leaning toward the alternative side of the aisle. Make sure to check out and follow Aaron Harrell on all of his socials, and give the track a listen below.