Ethan Bortnick is on Fire with “arsonists”

Producer and pianist Ethan Bortnick recently released his new track “arsonists”. The haunting track tells of unrequited love and heartbreak.  

Soft piano and haunting vocals start the song and we know the relationship is doomed from the beginning as Bortnick sings “something about you already hurts / already know that we will crash and burn”. 

As Bortnick realizes that “I know you’ll never want me back the same way”, explosive guitars and drums crash onto the previously serene soundscape, taking us to angstville. 

Bortnick drops the softness from his voice to unleash his rage in the chorus, singing “oh, I’d kill to be an arsonist / and burn bridges without shame”. His grittier vocal quality and driving instrumentation transform the song from haunting melody to a cathartic release.

The track as a whole reminds me strongly of FINNEAS, but the chorus really ties the two together for me. At first listen, I immediately thought of “Mona Lisa” when the chorus of “arsonists” kick in. The two songs follow a similar pattern of building up the verses to a booming cleansing chorus, but there’s other elements throughout Bortnick’s work that hint at FINNEAS’s influence. 

In the second verse, Bortnick keeps things interesting by mixing other instruments and effects to the piano create an almost otherworldly sound. Bortnick continues to create sonic changes with a brief instrumental interlude before the final verse. An almost frenetic drum beat joins the mix and creates a contrast with the slower sung lyrics. The change in instrumentation ties in with the confusion of the song. Elements are added and taken away to create a swirling slippery soundtrack to Bortnick's unrequited love.  

The song is only 2:30 long, but its brevity allows for Bortnick to maintain the balance of switching things up enough so we don’t get bored, but keeping it familiar enough to put us at ease. It never feels stale or repetitive. 

This song has been on repeat since it came out and I see it being a favorite for a long time.