Drawing power from an international core of prolific artists who have spent the last decade-plus pushing neofolk and ritual psychedelia deep into the future, Symbol & The Sound have returned with Stop The Hours/Fly Violet Blue—a fresh single of sophisticated pop tunes that aren't afraid to glide forward while still reaching back into the tempered hooks, hard-to-reach textures, and ornate arrangements that highlighted the 'New Romantic' sound of the 80s. 

A-side "Stop The Hours" makes quite an entrance for itself. Drifting tones guide the listener through a doorway in the sky, which once opened, gives way to a sonic palace of slippery guitar-work, glittering synth passages that blossom and unravel while still feeling hypnotic, and a cleverly programmed rhythmic backbone that sounds at once completely organic and unmistakably articulate. Once the vocals of ART ABSCONs mastermind Michael Tellbach soar in, his smooth tenor fits the tapestry beautifully, while seemingly in constant melodic dialogue with the agile synthesizers holding court underneath.

Where "Stop The Hours" boasts some of the immediacy and infectious pop-soaked sugar of the  previous World We Know/Oblivion EP, waltzing psych-folk gem "Fly Violet Blue" brings a more meditative counterpoint that allows rays of influence from the band's other projects to shine through—in particular, the shadowy neoclassical arrangements of Kinit Her and the striking electronic atmosphere of Circulation Of Light. 

Following the format of the prior EP, two remixes things off. The Circulation Of Light remix of "Stop The Hours" is a gorgeous deconstruction that manages to sprawl and drift while never losing focus. Here, the urgent rhythms have been put to rest, instead letting the Manuel Gottsching-channelling guitar work and plucky piano tones steer the song, as weeping textures haunt the broader landscape. This recontextualization also pushes the vocals of Jessica Way, who helped color in and glue the original track together with her gliding voice, to the fore. Finally, Arctic Hospital's treatment of "Fly Violet Blue" takes a far more abstract approach—warping, bending, and stretching its components into a full-on dance workout.