Instead of being a solo endeavor, striving to follow one’s dream can also be a shared experience. However, there comes a time when living vicariously loses its luster. When you feel your support system slipping away, what is a dreamer to do? On their new single, “The Rise,” indie rock duo The Harbours want to see their vision through but aren’t blind to wavering support. Otherwise, “The Rise” is an ode to having the self-confidence to keep on keeping on.
Being self-assured can easily be mistaken for arrogance. However, in that light, “The Rise” doesn’t lean into any such melodic self-indulgence. At first, everything’s a bit on the twangy side with the small exception of an undercurrent of sharp and wiry riffs. Roughly around the midpoint, a momentary hush is interrupted by an interlude of lightning quick guitar and scatter shot drums. Instead of flooding the soundscape with grandiose schemes, The Harbours are content with the isolated, rambunctious outburst while being, otherwise, even keeled.
“The Rise” not only explores having aspirations, but the grind you undertake to keep them alive. Amidst it all, it is also about confronting the doubts and concerns others may have for you. Also, it compares performing in obscurity to an audience of one to imagining what it would be like to reach the pinnacle. Furthermore, “bite your tongue and mull it over once again” sternly addresses those aforementioned misgivings. The song’s official motto of “the rise is coming, feel it blowing in the wind” translates to having a sixth sense about what the future may hold. All in all, “The Rise” is about the enduring power of self-belief.
Written by Travis Boyer
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