A relationship rarely ends at one defining moment. There can be arguments, attempts to put things right, growing distance and the gradual realisation that things cannot return to how they were. These are the experiences at the heart of Akaba’s second album, Wither Without, out now via Now Listen.
Across its nine songs, the Swedish trio examine different stages of a relationship falling apart. The writing moves beyond the initial difficulties to explore regret, obsession, grief and the struggle to accept what has happened. Rather than presenting one fixed response to the situation, the album considers how feelings can change as events unfold.
One of the interesting aspects of the record is the range of emotions it covers. There is frustration in trying to hold on, uncertainty about what comes next and the difficulty of coming to terms with losing someone. The possibility of a fresh start eventually enters the picture, but it comes after the more difficult experiences have been faced.
The musical approach also helps give the album its own character. Akaba bring together guitars, drums, synthesisers and programmed rhythms, creating arrangements that support the subject matter without relying on the lyrics alone to carry the atmosphere. It marks a change from the warmer analogue sound of their debut, The Rust Within, and gives the new material a different feel.
The focus track, “Go North”, offers one perspective on the album’s wider subject. Its lyrics consider the possibility of choosing another direction, leaving an old situation behind and finding a different place to call home. There is uncertainty in that decision, as well as the recognition that moving on means accepting that some things cannot be recovered.
Wither Without gives Akaba room to explore a difficult subject from several angles. Its appeal lies in the way the songs address the less straightforward parts of letting go, including the moments of doubt and the gradual search for a way forward. It is a thoughtful second album that gives listeners plenty to think about.
