Witch Post - Beast

When Alaska Reid first joined Dylan Fraser to feature on his 2022 solo track 'Vampire', she entered an electro-pop soundscape as a secondary character, a haunting and distorted echo to compliment Fraser's ambitious project. Though their creative partnership was already maturing, it wasn't until the release of swirling, energetic 'Chill Out' that we'd be truly introduced to the duo now known as Witch Post. As raw guitar lines lead the track, Dylan's blaring belt remains somehow introspective, contrasting Alaska's more fragile lines that still somehow land as a gut punch.

Mysterious and unspoken as they are, the frayed seams at which these two eccentric worlds conjoin are where the promise lies - the tense pre-chorus of 'Dreaming' is one such highlight from their debut EP, 'Beast'. Gravelled Scottish vocals abandoned their home in warped pop, a wailing siren sidesteps from dark atmospheric indie, and a new aesthetic is born through the lens of 90s alt-rock. It's an expansive sound but feels intentionally reclusive as much as exciting.

Take the project's centrepiece, 'Spell': "When I look for love / it's you that I find / if that much is true / I'll put a spell on you," Dylan sings desperately before the duet begins. It's almost spoken word, Alaska joining him as they shelter away from the audible winds outside. There are certainly moments of raucousness beyond the cosy confines, with 'The Wolf's sharp guitar lines thrashing away for a more upbeat but ever-grungy closer.

If Witch Post is the vehicle for these two artists to uncover something new, the 'Beast' EP is the first true totem on their united journey. Diverse musings exist here simultaneously, and the delightful mess, an ominous storm of looming potential, is a joy to witness.