Seine – Sno Sna LP (Moonlee Records)

Today, we’re heading back to 2017, the time when Seine released their debut full-length album called “Sno Sna.” This stylistically colorful musical troupe still sounds good today, and it’s always interesting to hear how they evolved over the years. “Sno Sna” is an ideal starting point, consisting of ten excellent tracks, and we’re positively sure you’ll find at least a handful of tracks that will resonate with your listening apparatus. Soundwise, Seine experiments with many different but complementary music genres to create such rich and luxurious sonic imagery. Perhaps indie comes to mind first, because these folks incorporate some of the finest properties of indie rock and indie, pop that’s not the end of the story. There are levitations towards alternatives, psych pop, trip-hop, minimal, etc. You’ll notice even some more experimental and avant-garde approaches, proving that Seine is all about breaking the rules and pushing the boundaries of conventional music.

Innovation, uniqueness, and an experimental approach to writing composing, arranging, recording, and producing music are just some of the qualities decorating this debut. Seine consists of profoundly creative musicians who simply know what works the best with the indie crowd, and they wisely use all the tools to trade in assembling the perfect tracks that will resonate with the audience. This trajectory unquestionably works to their advantage, as each track showcases their profound skill and talent. Each track sounds different, adding a sense of diversity to an overall impression of the album, but they also figured out how this material could work as a cohesive whole. Seine knows what they’re doing and they’re doing that thing pretty damn well, considering this was their debut full-length album. You’ll notice how each track makes a whole different listening experience, where the cleverly assembled instrumentations collide with a calm, soothing, relaxing, ethereal ambiance harmoniously.

The clean, high-pitched vocal maneuvers adequately balance low, mid, and high notes. This vocal range allows many experimentations, and you’ll stumble upon some interesting vocal arrangements along the way that undoubtedly add more complexity and uniqueness to these tracks. Also, it is good to mention that these vocal harmonies command attention, and guide listeners throughout the entire sonic voyage, while simultaneously emphasizing all the segments and instrumentations. The comprehensive collection of themes, melodies, harmonies, chord progressions, accentuations, and other sonic acrobatics presented on acoustic and semi-acoustic guitars acts as a perfect backdrop for all the vocals to shine upon. It’s nearly mindblowing how vocals and guitars pair together harmoniously. In the meantime, the equally intricate, vividly hearable, warm, or semi-distorted low-ends add immense support to all the guitar interplay by providing more heaviness, clarity, and depth while binding all those orchestrations and drums. The drumming patterns vary in mood and ambiance, and they’re present in most of these songs. You’ll hear how they combine acoustic and synth beats, depending on the song’s flow while the interspersing breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics enhance and decorate particular moments.

“Sno Sna” is a lyrically and instrumentally perfect indie album that will unquestionably satisfy even the pickiest fans of the genre. However, this album goes beyond indie, as these creative musicians incorporate many vital sonic ingredients from other complementary styles. It’s an essential listen to anyone interested in the Croatian indie music scene. You can order this gem directly from the band or head to Moonlee Records‘ web store.