The BART trains are packed with silent grumblers, the lines at Starbucks seem longer than usual – another work week has begun in San Francisco. Across town in Golden Gate Park, efforts are underway to clean up the aftermath of the three-day Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. Gears are grinding slowly back into motion – perhaps you too had some difficulty forming coherent sentences this morning? But have no fears, dear reader, this week’s dose of Musical Monday is sure to get you up and moving!
If you are looking for an escape, for music to get lost in, look no further than San Francisco seven-piece the Seshen, who are set to release their Unravel EP tomorrow on Tru Thoughts Records. On the title track, electronically manipulated drums take on the shape of a marching band, a thick synthesizer sounds a bit like a buzz-saw and Lalin St. Juste’s captivating vocals soar overhead, looped and twisted into mesmerizing hooks. Producer (and bassist) Aki Ehara spins all of these parts together into a hypnotic wash; one minute into the song and you may feel like you’re being carried away, down a river, into the unknown.
St. Juste describes “Unravel” as “the slow destruction of a relationship,” but its infectious melodies and spiraling rhythms can inspire a sense of openness and exploration, too; a reminder that even as things fall apart, there is always the promise of something new. Not the worst thing to keep in mind on a Monday morning.
The Seshen play an EP release show this Saturday at Leo’s Music Club in Oakland, along with fellow Bay Area bands Waterstrider and St. Tropez.
Watch the video for “Unravel” below:
