Rainbow's End - Into the Rainworld

​Rainbow's End

Into the Rainworld
self-released; 2016

​3.6 out of 5

By Dom Eagle

Rainbow’s End is a 22-year-old recording artist based in London. The electronic/alt-rock one-man effort began making music at university as a coping mechanism for the dull nature of studying. His debut album Into The Rainworld portrays the chaos present in his mind.

The opener to this ten-track release boasts an atmospheric, pulsating noise which grows and contorts into reverberating, ethereal guitar and a thumping beat. “Free Fall” aptly describes the sensation of listening to this spiraling descent into chaos. Whirring synthetic noises skitter and contort in the backdrop, eventually welcoming space for melancholic, understated vocals. The dark, intense feeling induced by this track is always coupled with an upbeat sense of energy and empowerment. The track packs a lot of kick, yet still seems almost otherworldly. Just as it reaches its climax, all instruments break down other than that initial, pulsating, synthetic sound, which eventually fades into the abyss.

“Colouring The Skies” also champions the ethereal, but in a slightly slower, joyous piece focusing less on washed away vocals and more on clearer lyrics and vocals at the forefront. I was not quite as fond of the vocal style on this track, but that could have just been my personal preference about the mixing. The songwriting and instrumental performance was still brilliant; surf-rock guitar and organ-esque synths combined to create a very sleek, smooth pop piece. While maintaining quite a consistent tone throughout, a sudden build to a climax at the close of the track was an unexpected surprise and one that seems to pay off as intricate bonkers guitar riffs collide and crash into one another alongside increasing synths.

Just as I thought I’d sussed out this album, “Ghost Cars” knocked me off my feet. This gritty track, driven by a fuzzy, intense, guitar rhythm is a short-but-sweet instrumental piece; other than what could possibly be Rainbow’s End’s voice fluctuating and blending into the atmospheric, windy synth that paints the backdrop in this haunting piece. Multi-layered chaos surmises this insane, ghoulish track. It’s short and there are no saddening lyrics to hook you in, and yet it’s one of the most interesting tracks on the album simply for the musical intensity present.

Into The Rainworld is a great debut effort. I loved some elements more than others, but I think the immense production skills, songwriting capabilities and instrumental prowess evident here could really build into something even greater on future releases. I look forward to seeing what comes next on this artist’s journey.​

Tweet