Crude but endearing work

Returning from a four-year recess, indie folk outfit Siskiyou has dropped another project. Not Somewhere is typified by a hazy, ethereal production and instrumentation. Singer-songwriter Colin Huebert’s whisper-thin vocals then corroborate the aforementioned qualities, and this all delivers a collection of emotive and atmospheric indie songs. And though it can come off as monotone, this project doesn’t actually lack much in stylistic depth.

The album is very somber. It opens with the track “Stop Trying,” and Huebert resigns that “everything ain’t goin’ way [he] planned,” before his voice is obscured and the track ends. This is but one of these really austere, nihilistic introspections that predominate the album. But, the bleak tone of this project is also interspersed with bright tracks like “What Ifs.” Taken out of context, the song sounds quite upbeat, centered around a blithe vocal performance from Huebert. However, the lyrics are also facetious and angsty, and so the track comes off as rather cynical. The album thrives off small polarities like this. And whilst the tone of this work could maybe feel a little incessant by the end, Siskiyou still manages an execution absent the shallow tropes which plague other ‘sad’ projects. To create something so honest isn’t a simple task, and so Siskiyou deserves acclaim for that.

This album isn’t flashy or flamboyant, but neither is it reticent. It’s a gaggle of crude and moody performances. Its musings will at times sound like ramblings, yet, its most redeeming quality. It’s sincere, and so listeners feel as though they can identify with Huebert on some level. There is no superficial facade separating the listener from the artist. Alone, some of these tracks definitely falter, so the album is best enjoyed together, save some brief moments. Listeners aren’t going to find catchy riffs and melodies; there aren’t any bangers on this project. It doesn’t enjoy a universal appeal, and that’s fine; that doesn’t take anything away from the quality of this project, a fine example of an honesty exceedingly rare in music.