Music soldiers, if you are looking for an album to blow your mind I’ve something for you. It comes from Sydney, Australia, and it’s called SEIMS. Don’t know it yet? Well, SEIMS is the debut album of Simeon Bartholomew and SEIMS is also the name of his solo alternative, experimental and math-rock music project. Before listening to this album I starting reading something about this, for me new, artist and his motto caught my attention: “If everything is the same, then everything is boring”. I therefore started thinking about that and I cannot disagree with him. This statement has a lot in it. Just think about it!
As you start listening to SEIMS the first thing you'll notice about this album is the continuous change in the rhythm section. There's no risk of feeling bored; you’ll be captured by the pursuing rhythm. Music is your personal experience and SEIMS can be just what you want. Each song will be shaped by your mood and your want. Just you, the music and your feelings. Let’s press play.
SEIMS is a collection of 14 gems for a journey lasting a bit more of 40 minutes, less than 1 hour but you are going to lose the time perception. The only problem I had was with the song titles! ‘TRNSMSSN’ opens up the album with an awesome guitar riff and the song itself gives you the idea of the album. There are so many changes in the rhythm that we can consider this song as the resume of the whole album sounds. Gorgeous stuff.
‘HHJJF’ is really mind blowing. It starts with a pursuing guitar riff that makes me think of driving across vast landscapes. This song moves and you can't help coming along for the ride. Around halfway through there’s a pause – have you ever experienced so tense a pause? – and I had the impression of something like a videogame ride. Amazing.
Passing through the hypnotic ‘CRYBBY’ we find a minute's rest with ‘’. In that minute your avatar is crossing a pound and you’ll both flow into the following track. ‘IIIAL’ is driven hard from the beginning by a feral bass line. In short order it gets a helping of memorable melodic sauce. Close to the end we get a ringing moment that really grabs you.
I love the intro of ‘UU’ with its pursuing rhythm that has an undeniable power, whilst ‘CARDIAC’ is heartbreaking and the unutterable ‘4444 444’ will bring you in fastest ride you’ve never experienced. It’s like being in a never ending loop. ‘DROPLET’ you’ll love at first listen. It starts slowly before ascending into the next level of atmosphere like an inverted rockslide. Light and darkness are really well mixed in this track, whereas a track like ‘OUTOUT’ really puts me in a great mood.
The remainder of the album is mostly engaging and, whenever it lulls, a heavy riff draws you back in.
‘IVDE’ has the honor to show off the race chequered flag. Your ride finishes here with the hypnotic effect of a guitar over the dreamlike collision of sounds.
“If everything is the same, then everything is boring”. Enjoy SEIMS’s music journey, it deserves your attention.
