While many have been struggling with the complexities of remote working of late, Orpine’s Eleanor Rudge and Oliver Catt have been longtime adopters; separated by 300 miles of British countryside since the borne of their union. The idea of spatial awareness and desolation is something that broadly runs through their distinct and curious sound, none more so than on "Migrating Geese Overhead" with its sparse percussion.
The clankering ambient introduction with an ever-present snare drum has a primitive, hypnotic, almost trance-like grace to it. And when it finally gives way to Catt’s robust vocal there’s a real sense of languish that’s further yielded by the acute sense of loneliness felt in the lyrics: “To become a ghost in London / To haunt the road of towns / To live alone in silence and not know anyone around”.
When Rudge chimes in, there’s a sense of hope and something of a plot twist: the track turns celestial and hymnal, sunshine pours in and the percussion mirrors the climactic narrative. There’s a real cinematic feel to the track’s resolution and the way they’ve managed to dovetail that almost drone-like sound at the beginning with the luscious crescendo at the curtain perfectly embodies the conflicting emotions depicted lyrically.
Of the track, Catt says: “it’s about the fear of settling and the places your mind goes when you’re struggling with comfort. Being in love is an all-consuming thing that allows fear and doubt to operate untethered. It’s a song about yearning for diversion from a narrow path and all of the consequences that come with taking that decision.”
