Seine
22
Seine's 2nd album '22' brings forth an amorphous genre-bending sound, combining elements of noise and alternative rock, trip hop and no wave with sporadic cabaret undertones. The pair continues its exploration of the intriguing, ill-lighted and downtempo moods that have defined their debut while putting a new emphasis on dissonance and atonality. 22 showcases intricate arrangements and muscular instrumentation, its seven hook-laden tracks slowly drifting through melancholy waters. The electrified acoustic guitar and drum set are still the backbone, but they have expanded their sonic palette with piercing electronic textures, classical instruments samples and driving polyrhythms. The resulting leftfield grooves engage the listener in a noisy introspective dance. Seines music still gravitates around Ivan's easily recognizable soul-searching androgynous voice. His is a timbre of a man with puffy eyes, a sombre heart and turbulent spirit. In his dark and waggish verses, he wryly explores the triangle between money, war and transcendence from a beyond-good-and-evil standpoint. The days of love songs are dead, long live money poetics! The 2nd LP from one of Croatias most ingenious bands of the moment is an electrifying genre-defying sonic journey full of sardonic humour and 100% authentic musical expression on the fringes of contemporary rock music.