Record Review – All Day Gentle Hold!

By Stephen Kern
skern@lc.edu

Aaron Maine, also known as Porches, is an indie rock artist based in New York City. His fifth and latest album All Day Gentle Hold! was released on October 8th, 2021. All Day Gentle Hold! is 11 tracks and 25 minutes of concise drums, warm vocal tones, snazzy synths, and hazy guitar riffs. This record is more ambitious and energetic compared to Maine’s previous record Ricky Music; on which he stated that he was experimenting with new production ideas.

All Day Gentle Hold! was recorded in Maine’s New York apartment at the end of 2019 and through the pandemic until April 2021. Toying with sounds from genres like shoe-gaze, dream-pop, and punk, these short punchy songs are “alive” and energetic through the record. It’s as sharp and refreshing as a splash of cold water to the face. The 6th track “Swarovski” is a super bouncy and playful song with the most memorable chorus that will get stuck in your head all day. “In A Fashion” slows the record down a bit with some warm and layered synths and Maine singing softly “Did you ever think that you were born for it?”. The pace continues through the next track “Inasint” which is a 53 second interlude featuring a vocal skit and some slow and warped synthesizer sounds. The momentum and energy picks back up to standard for this record with the last 2 tracks. “Grab The Phone” is upbeat with hammering drums, some washed out guitar, and serene backing vocals for the choruses “Don’t bite the hook I just let it slide through my cheek, pull me up wanna show you some of my teeth”.

Porches seems to be having more fun and being more playful on this record. To me this record feels like each song is a little bubble filled with a little static shock. Personally, I think the Pitchfork review describes this album perfectly; “These are some of Maine’s most generous and indelible songs, so much so that the album’s 25 minutes feel too brief. Like the best summers, it’s done in an instant—but the feeling lasts long after it’s over.”.

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