A mystical compilation of electronics
Sometimes, a shift in sound is what you need to switch your music style. The Montreal-based band, Suuns, did exactly that many years ago while the members were trying to create musical beats. They created a sound unlike anything that had been done in the past with their two songs, “Bambi” and “Red Song.” Their music evolved into what it is today, with their newest full-length album, The Witness.
The Witness is compiled with flowy, electronic beats coupled with sultry vocals. It’s a short-lived experience, with the whole album coming in at about 38 minutes in length. The vibes crawl forward as the album goes on, creating a sound that pulls the listener deeper into its mystery. It sounds almost like a strange but comforting spiral. The album combines oddities like nature sounds, cicadas, synth and electronics.
The album opens with “Third Stream,” which introduces the listener to the gentle hum of summer cicadas, along with a creeping bass beat, edging along. It quickly transforms with the introduction of more sounds, a long, deep horn and some autotuned, electronic voice work. The second track and the single off the album, “Witness Protection,” is a funky electronic melody that sounds somewhere between slow motion and uplifting. The lyrics “wipe the dust from your eyes” play out before leading into the end of the song, slow and deep, with a consistent beat.
“Timebender” blends together electric beats and vocals with the sounds of nature. The twinkling sound of the bird’s tweets brings the song together into a mellow track. It starts off playfully with the pitter-patter of a distant electronic beat. There’s something ethereal about the track, dripping with morning dew and the feeling of cool six a.m. air, just before the day truly begins.
The album ends with two lengthy songs: “Go To My Head” and “The Trilogy.” “Go To My Head” features grumbling vocals turned light over a twinkling yet deep backing track. It almost sounds confusing, and yet, each distinct sound finds a way to compliment the other. The light twinkles with the deep, distorted opening vocals make for an eclectic mix. “Trilogy” has a rippling beat, creating a sound that comes in and out with melancholy echoey vocals. The dulcet beat plays out until some drums come in towards the end, lifting up the sound ever so slightly. It ends just the way the album started—with the nostalgic sound of cicadas humming in the night, fading out into nothing.
Suuns has created an album that is, without a doubt, a distinct musical oddity. Electronic beats, calming nature sounds, auto-tuned vocals and hushed whispers make The Witness weird but bewitching.
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