“An ode to all who lost and found their home in this cold place.“
There is a lot to love about SENNA’s debut album – the emotional vulnerability, the colourful instrumentation, and a considered balance between melody and aggression. Opener “Hurricane” ushers the record in with reverb-drenched guitars and warm production, a litmus test for the record as a whole.
However, the German outfit’s individual strengths prove nothing genre-defying across the record. Smatterings of unbridled heaviness in “Blackout”, “High Note”, and the math rock-tinged penultimate track “NS:LC”, serve as eminences in what is otherwise a fairly straight, flat road.
By far the standout element of the record is the guitarwork, which ranges from moody (“Hurricane“) to funky (“Drunk Dial Anthem“) to frenetic (“Blackout“) at any given moment. Even then, the rather progressive instrumentation is handicapped by what are fairly predictable song structures, for the most part feeling like what you would get if you asked a rather skilled AI to produce Octanecore where the band actually enjoys playing their instruments. It’s progressive, but a little more Landmvrks than ERRA. And while frontman Simon Masdjedi’s dynamic vocals are capable, the hooks simply aren’t catchy enough to compensate for the commercial lean. The range on show is nonetheless commendable, with even a certain jazzy quality to the vocal-guitar interplay coming to the fore on the likes of “Potential” and “Rain” that harkens to Peach Club-era Emarosa.
Make no mistake, Stranger To Love is a good record – there is no doubt about it – but it is a safe one, at least sonically. On the lyrical front, the record traverses topics of self-doubt and dissociation, which does feel authentic, and the band manages to present them in a package which is still fun and groovy, the sort of reflection which makes you want to kick back poolside with a drink rather than wallow.
The album ends on a strong note with “Polarised“, featuring contemporaries Our Mirage. The longest track at a smidgen over five minutes, it gives the music time to breathe, and is all the better for it; the slow, cathartic build and incredible depth of texture, whether that be the percussive switch-up two minutes in, scattered classical instruments, or the flood of reverb, makes for a cinematic piece which appropriately has the most intense atmosphere on display. After the midpoint, the pop sensibilities are abandoned entirely, rising to a cathartic, gaze-heavy cacophony.
Overall, SENNA‘s debut album is a solid stab at the genre, a well-produced blend of pop melodies and heavier-leaning guitarwork. Stranger To Love’s alt-rock accessibility will certainly serve SENNA well, and it will be a new favourite for fans of Dayseeker and Rain City Drive, but it condemns the record to familiar territory, where 2022’s A Moment of Quiet felt pure and unrestrained. The eleven-track run, with its vibrant atmosphere, finds it niche as a soundtrack for the summer months. Will it stay with me beyond that? We’ll see.
7/10
Stranger To Love will be available this Friday, May 23rd, via Sharptone Records, and you can pre-order it here.