London’s rising duo Arliston (Jack Ratcliffe and George Hasbury) have returned with another melancholic masterpiece. ‘Disappointment Machine’ is an intricate clockwork of emotion ticking steadily between hopelessness and optimism. As you’ll hear, this one delivers a sonic and lyrical exploration of cycles we can’t seem to break, pulling listeners into a hauntingly relatable world of yearning and introspection. Opening with gentle, wistful melodies, the track feels like standing in the middle of a dimly lit room, the air heavy with memories. Jack’s voice, both tender and resolute, threads through the song like a lifeline, guiding us through the reflective haze. The swelling production, led by George, builds into moments of quiet revelation, as if the weight of life’s disappointments suddenly lifted, just for a moment, by a glimmer of self-awareness.

The accompanying music video, filmed in Bristol, magnifies the track’s themes with a poignant narrative of a monk venturing from his cloister in search of connection. This imagery mirrors the song’s emotional journey: the restless pursuit of meaning, the bittersweet realization of our own illusions. ‘Disappointment Machine’ is a profound reminder that change begins when we finally confront the machinery within ourselves.

“This song gets into the repeated pattern of behaviour which leads mechanically and invariably to disappointment. It also attempts to put into context the fact that it’s a ‘tiny problem’ and does not matter, but despite the attempts to minimise it, the feelings remain the same.”

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