“Reverence” by Ecovillage

Following the release of 2021’s New Reality, the Swedish duo of Emil Holmström and Peter Wikström — aka, Ecovillage — released several singles that were filled with graceful, subdued ambient textures. Except for “Reverence,” that is, which was released last October and is currently only available on streaming services.

With synth arpeggios that sound like an inverse of Stranger Things’ brooding theme and evoke The Midnight’s ’80s revivalism, “Reverence” is one of the more upbeat and optimistic tracks that I’ve heard in Ecovillage’s catalog. There’s still a melancholy undercurrent, which emerges more fully during the song’s bridge, but that serves only to deepen the song’s emotional heft.