ARENTUMINE’s debut album Wasting Time steps into someone’s diary while the ink is still wet. From the jump, “The Pact (Intro)” wraps you in floaty synths that rise like morning fog, then drops in slow, heavy beats that land with intention. Justin Alvarez’s husky, euphoric delivery cuts through that haze like a beam of light, setting the tone for the emotional rollercoaster ahead. You can tell he’s been through the wringer, and he’s not afraid to let you feel it with him.
By the time the self-titled track, “ARENTUMINE” hits, things get grittier as sharp, electrifying synths slice through sugary high ambient layers, creating this intoxicating push-and-pull. His echoing high vocals feel half-drowned in reverb, like he’s singing from somewhere deep underwater, yet somehow high on the sound itself. It’s a strange, beautiful mix—like floating and falling at the same time.
Then there’s the title track, “Wasting Time,” which really feels like the album’s beating heart. Featuring Eliana Torson, it opens with airy, flowing instrumentation, Alvarez’s voice carrying a tinge of melancholy and that post-heartbreak exhaustion that still somehow aches with love. When Eliana comes in over those glistening piano notes, her cool, relaxed tone brings a clarity that feels almost like redemption. Then—bam—the drums hit hard, rolling and the cymbals shimmer, and suddenly they’re singing together, voices intertwined, echoing, lifting each other up until you’re completely swept away.
What makes Wasting Time stand out is that it feels lived in. Every synth swell, every drum hit, every breath in the vocals carries the weight of six years’ worth of ideas, pain, and hope. Check out the fruit of those labors of ARENTUMINE on Spotify.
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Review by: Naomi Joan